Three million Teslas recalled as China cracks down on pop-out door handles

Millions of Tesla models have been recalled in China as part of a huge muti-brand recall to address safety concerns surrounding pop-out door handles.

In total, 4.3 million cars have been recalled in China for this issue, almost three million of which are Teslas. The other brands affected include Chery, Leapmotor, XPeng and Geely – all of which sell cars in the UK – as well as smartphone-brand-turned-car-manufacturer, Xiaomi.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation says that “vehicles included in this recall have emergency mechanical door handles that are difficult to identify and operate because their color is similar to the interior trim.” The regulator claims that following an accident it’s possible that a car’s electrical systems could fail and thus “hinder occupants from quickly opening the doors to escape and impede rescue efforts by those outside the vehicle, posing a safety hazard”. 

China is preparing to impose an outright ban on pop-out car door handles in 2027. The design trait was popularised in the early 2010s by the Tesla Model S and other subsequent models. Manufacturers have, until now, stuck by this feature, because not only does it help create a cleaner overall design, but it also helps reduce a car’s drag coefficient – crucial in electric cars. From January next year, new cars can only be sold if they have a manual release inside and out – not just an electronic one.

No such ban is set to come into force in the UK and Europe, but given that manufacturers will want to streamline production for both China and Western markets, we could see many vehicles swap their pop-out handles for more traditional, mechanical alternatives. That said, the EU has stated it’s actively reviewing the safety of electronic door handles, so it’s not out of the question that such a ban could be introduced in the future – and the UK could potentially align with the policy.

In the meantime, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US has proposed a new standard to enforce “robust and obvious door egress system”. With more and more nations beginning to introduce such legislation, this could put pressure on European law makers to follow suit. Auto Express has approached the Department for Transport, as well as the manufacturers affected, for comment.

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