"Demanded by Elon Musk against the safety concerns of his own engineers, the handle and its electronic opening mechanism have been implicated in multiple fatal incidents where trapped passengers couldn't open their doors from the inside, and emergency rescuers could not access from the outside. The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued new safety rules, mandating all cars sold in the country must feature a mechanical release accessible from both the inside and outside."
"This regulation marks a critical turning point in the automotive industry, perhaps signaling that the era of prioritizing sleek aesthetics over basic human survival is finally ending for good. While regulators in the United States and Europe are still investigating the hazards of electronic latches, it may be Beijing's massive market leverage that forces a return to traditional, safer mechanical controls."
China has outlawed the Tesla-style concealed flush door handle and will require all cars sold there to include a mechanical release accessible from both inside and outside, effective January 1, 2027. The concealed electronic handles and opening mechanisms have been implicated in multiple fatal incidents where passengers and rescuers could not open doors. Regulators in the United States and Europe are still investigating electronic latch hazards, but China's market leverage and new manufacturing specifications may force a wider return to traditional mechanical controls. The move responds to a broader trend of replacing reliable physical hardware with cheaper electronic substitutes and touch interfaces that can increase accident risk.
Read at Fast Company
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