Overview

• CarNewsChina and other outlets report Chinese regulators are preparing a draft that would prohibit fully flush door handles, with finalization expected by late September, a one-year transition, and possible effect from July 2027.
• Safety and reliability concerns underpin the reported plan, including a C-IASI finding that electronic handles opened in only 67% of side-crash tests versus 98% for conventional designs, alongside prior ADAC warnings about stalled rescues after power loss.
• Recent incidents cited in China include frozen handle motors during a 2024 cold snap in Changchun and rain-related short circuits in Guangdong that left occupants breaking windows to exit.
• Flush handles have become common on NEVs from Chinese brands and global models from Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, and Kia, while smaller manufacturers could abandon the feature due to the cost of supporting two designs; semi-flush or conventional handles with mechanical backup would reportedly remain permissible.
• Debate over emergency auto-unlock systems is growing as Euro NCAP moves to penalize cars that drop physical controls from 2026, and Auto Motor und Sport notes FAW-Audi models in China now add a collision-triggered pull cord for external rescue.