Under the new rules, vehicles will only be approved for sale if every passenger door is equipped with mechanical release systems on both the inside and outside.

China will ban hidden door handles on cars, commonly used on Tesla's electric vehicles and many other EV models, starting next year.

China will ban hidden car door handles from January 1, 2027, citing safety concerns, phasing out the minimalist designs popularised by Tesla. The new rules require doors to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases and could influence global EV design as China asserts itself as a standards-setter. FRANCE 24's Jan Camenzind Broomby has more details from Beijing.

PEKIN, China (Feb 3): China will ban hidden door handles on cars from next year over safety concerns, phasing out the minimalist design popularised by Tesla. The new rules could prompt carmakers globally to rethink vehicle-door designs as China increasingly positions itself as a standards-setter in the rapidly expanding international EV market, according to analysts.Read More

China is banning hidden door handles on all cars sold in the country, becoming the first country in the world to target the feature – which was popularized by Tesla but has for years drawn concern ove...

On Monday (February 2, 2026), China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) issued regulations requiring cars sold in the country to have a mechanical release for the door on both the inside and outside […]

On Monday (February 2, 2026), China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) issued regulations requiring cars sold in the country to have a mechanical release for the door on both the inside and outside […]

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

Car door handles will need to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases, and Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to achieve compliance.

It makes China the first country to outlaw designs first popularised by Elon Musk's Tesla.

It makes China the first country to outlaw designs first popularised by Elon Musk's Tesla.

It makes China the first country to stop the use of designs first made popular by Elon Musk's Tesla.

It makes China the first country to stop the use of designs first made popular by Elon Musk's Tesla.

China has moved to ban hidden door handles on cars, commonly seen on Tesla vehicles, starting next year.