The fully hidden door handles are finally out of fashion. Will the "arrogant designs" of Tesla and other brands be phased out?

Tesla, an automaker that once set off a design trend for new energy vehicles with its hidden door handles, is now at the center of a storm due to door handle issues.

According to foreign media "bloomberg", Tesla is redesigning its door handles because some owners have reported that the electronic door handles malfunctioned, preventing them from opening the doors. In some cases, children were trapped inside the car and had to break the window to escape.

Screenshot: bloomberg

Currently, relevant US agencies are investigating the possible "malfunction of electronic door handles" in some Tesla electric vehicles, involving approximately 174,000 vehicles. If it is finally determined that the door handle issue poses an unreasonable risk to the vehicles, the relevant vehicles will face a recall.

Tesla is the car brand that popularized the hidden door handle design. After the launch of the Tesla Model S in 2012, it was quickly imitated by other automakers. However, it is now caught up in a recall storm because of its "signature design", which is quite ironic.

Moreover, the media "Mingjing Pro" revealed that the discussion on the draft of the mandatory standard for door handles (i.e., the national standard) is expected to be completed soon. It may directly ban the use of fully hidden door handles and allow the use of semi - hidden and traditional door handles, which must have mechanical redundancy. At the same time, a one - year transition period will be given, and it is expected to be implemented in July 2027.

In other words, if this information is true, the design of fully hidden door handles will be completely phased out in a few years.

Fully hidden door handles are not as safe as imagined!

There has always been a controversy in China regarding fully hidden door handles. Supporters and opponents hold different views and have never been able to convince each other. Nevertheless, more and more newly launched new energy vehicles are adopting the fully hidden door handle design.

In the view of Dianchetong, the hidden door handle is undoubtedly a controversial design, and perhaps the most controversial one.

According to most automakers, the direct benefits of the fully hidden door handle design are to reduce the vehicle's wind resistance and energy consumption and improve the overall appearance of the vehicle. Even though the cost is higher than that of traditional mechanical door handles, it is still worth the investment. However, from the consumer's perspective, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. In winter, the door handles may freeze, making it difficult to open the doors. Many pure - electric online car - hailing vehicles use fully hidden door handles, but the popular "door - opening reminder stickers" on e - commerce platforms indicate that not all owners can understand how to use the hidden door handles.

Screenshot: Taobao

Although the hidden door handle design has certain theoretical advantages, in the actual process of using the vehicle, the various inconveniences and troubles it brings often far exceed the benefits provided by these advantages.

Of course, the most controversial issue is the safety of fully hidden door handles.

In addition to the malfunction of electronic door handles like in the case of Tesla, there are also frequent cases of children's fingers being pinched by door handles. More importantly, if the hidden door handle fails to pop out after an accident, it will be a serious safety hazard, which is a matter of life and death.

Dianchetong noticed that automakers have strengthened the safety promotion of hidden door handles in recent years. The door handles can pop open after a crash test or in freezing conditions. However, the following two sets of data show that hidden door handles are not very stable after a collision.

Data from the National Automobile Accident In - depth Investigation System (NAIS) shows that in 2024, traffic accidents caused by door handle failures increased by 47% year - on - year, and hidden door handles accounted for as high as 82% of these cases.

The C - NCAP crash test shows that for models equipped with electronic door handles, the success rate of the doors popping open after a side collision is only 67%, far lower than the 98% of mechanical door handles.

Image source: Filmed by Dianchetong

The safety of any component in a car is crucial. Why has the traditional mechanical pull - type door handle always been recognized by the market? Because it is the valuable experience accumulated after many accident lessons.

According to the draft of the "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles", all new cars must be equipped with a "double - insurance" system. Even if the electronic system fails, passengers can still manually open the doors through a mechanical device. There are corresponding regulations on the shape, height, and size of the emergency handle.

Design innovation is valuable, but the safety bottom - line cannot be crossed.

Will semi - hidden door handles become the mainstream?

Any industry has a similar development cycle. In the initial stage, enterprises do not have a clear direction, so product designs are diverse and full of various creative ideas. However, after the industry matures, products will inevitably become more similar in terms of hardware and appearance.

Most design changes can improve the user's driving and riding experience. However, the scary thing is that once a design becomes the mainstream, it will be imitated by other automakers and become a symbol of high - end and class, ultimately leaving consumers with no other choices.

The hidden door handle is a typical example.

Image source: FAW Toyota official

Dianchetong has test - driven many new energy vehicles with fully hidden door handles and has similar feelings about the door handle designs of these models - they look trendy but are cumbersome to use. The inward - flipping door handle of the Toyota bZ3 is a design that has been widely criticized in the industry. Dianchetong has communicated with several online car - hailing drivers of the Toyota bZ3 and found that even with reminder stickers on the doors, they still need to spend time explaining to many passengers how to open the doors. There have even been cases where passengers' fingers got stuck in the door handle gaps.

Once the fully hidden door handle design exits the market, automakers will have to re - examine and adjust their product design logic. They may turn more to the lower - cost traditional mechanical design or choose the semi - hidden design, which also has a minimalist style, to find a balance between aesthetics and safety.

Image source: Xiaomi Auto official

The semi - hidden door handle design should be a relatively perfect compromise solution. You may think of the design used in the Xiaomi SU7, but in Dianchetong's view, the first batch of new energy vehicles with semi - hidden door handles and a good user experience are the Volkswagen ID. series.

Taking the Volkswagen ID.4 CROZZ as an example, in normal situations, there is an electric switch inside the door handle, which feels similar to the daily trunk button. You can open the door with a light press. In case of an emergency, you can also directly unlock the door by pulling the mechanical part. The keyhole is also retained, which meets the door - opening needs in various scenarios.

Dianchetong noticed that more and more new cars this year are adopting the semi - hidden door handle design, such as the Wenjie M8, Chery Fengyun A9L, BYD Seal 06, GAC Aion UT, FAW Audi Q6L e - tron, and the upcoming Voyah Taishan. These models cover different domestic and joint - venture brands and market segments, from sedans to SUVs. The semi - hidden door handle is gradually becoming a new trend in automotive design.

Image source: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Of course, there are more ways to open car doors than just semi - hidden and traditional door handles. For example, technologies such as card - swiping entry and facial recognition have also been applied in some models. The Wenjie M9 even offers an "air - opening" function. The main purpose of these door - opening methods is to provide emotional value, allowing consumers to feel the technological or luxury value of the car.

However, from the perspective of the entire market, these relatively exaggerated door - opening methods are unlikely to become the mainstream. Semi - hidden door handles and traditional mechanical door handles are more likely to become the two major mainstream designs in the future market.

It's only a matter of time before the "pseudo - demand designs" of electric vehicles are eliminated

Dianchetong has checked the complaints of many netizens about "pseudo - demand designs in cars" and found that in addition to hidden door handles, physical buttons, AR - HUD, panoramic sunroofs, etc. have also been criticized. However, from the current perspective, these functions that were once labeled as "pseudo - demands" have gradually shaken off this negative evaluation after continuous technological iteration and optimization, and are now bringing real experience value to users.

Take physical buttons as an example. After large in - vehicle screens were widely used in new energy vehicles, most of the physical buttons originally used to adjust the air - conditioning, volume, and wipers were cancelled and replaced by central control screen operations or voice control. The biggest advantage of physical buttons is blind operation. Drivers can complete operations without shifting their eyes to look at the screen, relying only on touch, and the feedback from the buttons is clear and strong, which can effectively avoid distractions while driving.

However, now the voice interaction technology has developed quite maturely. When Dianchetong test - drove several new energy vehicles, it found that there were basically no problems with inaccurate voice recognition, which has basically made up for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of physical buttons. For users with non - fluent Mandarin, most models still retain physical buttons for commonly used functions such as the air - conditioning.

Image source: Filmed by Dianchetong

Another example is the rear - seat multi - screen design, which is also considered a "pseudo - demand design" by some netizens. Dianchetong noticed that more and more users are now working or entertaining in the car, and many models have opened up their application ecosystems, providing experiences such as playing games that were previously unimaginable. The rear - seat multi - screen design is gradually showing its value.

Ultimately, different users have different needs for cars, and their views on which configurations are "pseudo - demands" also vary. Which functions will be favored by consumers and which will be eliminated by the market will ultimately be judged by the market.

Of course, we also have to admit that there are indeed some automakers in the automotive industry with insufficient core competitiveness, trying to attract consumers by creating false demands, fabricating user needs, and adding product selling points. Dianchetong believes that only by doing a good job in core experiences such as the three - electric system, assisted driving, intelligent cockpit, and human - vehicle interaction can automakers maintain long - term competitiveness in the highly competitive automotive market and remain invincible.

(Cover image source: Filmed by Dianchetong)