No more flush door handles: China aims to standardize designs for safety reasons

Most new cars—especially those emerging from the Chinese market—feature ‘flush’ door handles, which are seamlessly integrated into the vehicle’s body.

While this design gives a car a sleeker and more futuristic appearance, did you know that it is actually considered an unsafe feature in China?

According to a report by Mingjing Pro, citing automotive industry sources earlier last month, Chinese authorities are in discussions to completely ban fully integrated door handle designs.

Manufacturers will still be allowed to install traditional and semi-retractable door handles, but they must be equipped with mechanical opening support.

Authorities also plan to implement this new regulation starting in July 2027, meaning that all new vehicles sold in China after that date will no longer feature recessed door handle designs.

The discussions also encompass automatic door opening mechanisms, especially in accident scenarios.

This recessed door handle design trend is said to contribute to aerodynamics and allow for longer ranges.

However, recent disclosures suggest that this ‘modern’ feature only contributes to a drag coefficient reduction of 0.005-0.01 Cd.

This ‘advanced’ system is also reported to be heavier, three times more expensive to repair, and has an eight-fold failure rate.

Several incidents were reported throughout 2024 in which these electric door handles failed to function during emergencies such as accidents and fires; there was even an instance where a user became trapped inside a vehicle because they could not open the door from the inside.

Other incidents included electrical shorts caused by heavy rain, which prevented passengers from opening the doors from inside, forcing them to break windows to escape.

In a recent development, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China released guidelines titled “Technical Requirements for Vehicle Door Handle Safety,” which are open for public consultation before finalization on November 22.

Among the listed requirements are:

• Each door (excluding the trunk) must have an external door handle with mechanical opening functionality.
• In accidents involving fire, unaffected side doors must be able to open without the aid of tools.
• Regardless of position, each door handle must provide sufficient operating space for the hand.
• Each door must feature an internal door release lever with mechanical release capability without tool assistance.
• If using electric internal handles, a mechanical backup handle must also be provided.
• Each handle/lever must be easily recognizable, clearly visible, positioned within 300 mm from the door’s edge, and located in specific zones relative to the seating position.

In summary, these new standards focus on three key aspects: regulating the type of door handle structure, ensuring the system remains operable during power loss incidents, and standardizing handle positions with clear safety markings.