China plans to curb flush and concealed car door handles that lack robust mechanical backups, with draft mandatory standards that would force clearer, tool-free operation in emergencies.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) today issued the Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handle Safety for public comment until Nov 22.
The proposal targets electronic and hidden designs that can become inoperable during power loss or crashes, especially in electric vehicles.
Under the draft, every passenger door must have an external handle with a mechanical release; boots are excluded.
In battery thermal incidents, non-impact-side doors must open via external handles without tools.
External handles must provide minimum hand access of 60mm × 20mm × 25mm regardless of position.
Internally, each door must have a mechanical release; if electric handles are used, a mechanical backup is compulsory.
Internal handles must be clearly visible and easily identifiable, placed within 300 mm of the door edge and inside defined zones relative to each seat.
MIIT said the standard seeks to set a safety baseline while guiding design improvement as electrification spreads.
The China Automotive Standardisation Research Institute reported it drew on research involving over 20 companies and 63 models to capture common failure modes and market practices.
Separately, MIIT has examined door-handle configurations on more than 230 models and conducted validation tests on 20-plus vehicles. Over 100 automakers, suppliers and testing bodies contributed technical input.
If adopted, the rules would push manufacturers to retain or reintroduce independent mechanical releases and to standardise placement and markings so that occupants, bystanders or first responders can quickly locate and operate door mechanisms without power or special tools.
Carmakers would be able to comment during the consultation window, but the direction signals a clear regulatory preference for mechanical fail-safes over purely electronic or fully hidden solutions.
