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A CURIOSITY of contemporary car manufacturing is set to be criminalized under a new ban.
The governmental intervention comes after several reports of injury, death, and close calls relating to this controversial piece of equipment.
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The feature in question is the relatively new electric door handle, which on some models will recess and pop out as doors are closed and locked or unlocked and opened, with such variants being known as hidden car door handles.
While most notable for their inclusion on many Tesla models, other major EV automakers have implemented similar door handle technology, such as Hyundai, Infiniti, Chevrolet, Land Rover, Kia, Nissan, and even Chinese EV automakers like Xiaomi and Aion.
Although there is legislation in place in the US exploring ways to make these vehicles safer, China has broken ground as the first nation to target and universally ban hidden car door handles.
However, the ban doesn’t go into effect until next January, giving automakers the time needed to adjust manufacturing and design processes.
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The delay is also significant because the law forbids the sale of vehicles with recessed door handles from January 1 onward.
In other words, automakers have the rest of the 2026 calendar year to move their current inventory featuring hidden door handles, likely at cheaper and cheaper prices as the deadline draws ever nearer.
All vehicles sold in China after New Year’s Day 2027 will need to feature a mechanical release for both interior and exterior door handles.
Exterior door handles must provide enough space for a hand to operate its mechanical release from any angle, while interior handles must be “clearly visible from the corresponding occupant’s position” per the law’s text.
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Recent months have seen multiple fatal accidents occur as an alleged result of electronic door handles that were inoperable once the vehicle lost power, leading to many preventable deaths in America, China, Canada, and other countries.
Neither Tesla, Xiaomi, nor Aion immediately returned The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
In January, many EV makers reported slow demand. Reuters said there are a few valid reasons for a slow in demand:
Source: Reuters
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