China will require all electric vehicles (EVs) sold domestically to include mechanical door-release systems on both the interior and exterior from 1 January 2027.
The rule has been introduced under new safety regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
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The standards will apply to newly approved models, while vehicles already cleared for sale and close to launch will have until January 2029 to update their designs.
According to Bloomberg, the move follows a series of highly publicised accidents, including two fatal crashes involving Xiaomi electric cars in which investigators suspected that power failures stopped doors from opening.
Although the measures cover only vehicles sold in China, regulators and industry executives have suggested that the country’s influence on the global automotive market could lead to similar action elsewhere.
Tesla’s door systems are already being scrutinised in the US, while European authorities are reviewing possible regulatory responses.
Financial implications for manufacturers remain unclear.
One person familiar with development work at a Chinese EV producer told Bloomberg that the redesigns could cost more than 100m yuan ($14.4m) for each model.
Vehicles likely to be affected include Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, BMW’s iX3, Nio’s ES8, Li Auto’s i8, Xpeng’s P7 and Xiaomi’s YU7 sport utility vehicle, which entered the market in June 2025.
China began reassessing door-handle requirements in July 2024 after at least two fatal incidents in which passengers were trapped inside their cars.
Under the new framework, exterior doors must provide a recessed area measuring at least 6cm by 2cm to allow a hand to grip a handle.
Inside the cabin, vehicles must display signs of at least 1cm by 0.7cm explaining how to open the door, with rules also governing their positioning.
According to Bloomberg’s report, several manufacturers have already started altering designs for the Chinese market.
Geely Automobile Holdings’ Galaxy M9 and BYD’s Seal 06 have returned to exposed handles, while Tesla has said it will comply with the standards and is weighing whether to make its manual releases easier to locate and to programme locks to open automatically when battery voltage drops.
