HONG KONG (AP) — China will ban hidden door handles on cars, commonly used on Tesla’s electric vehicles and many other EV models, starting next year. The new requirement for both internal and external door handles will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. “China is the first major automotive market to explicitly ban electrical pop-out and press-to-release hidden door handles,” he said. The new requirements would impact premium EVs more as retractable door handles “are treated as a design and aerodynamic statement,” he added. Last year, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into cases where Tesla’s electronic door handles reportedly failed to work.
