After much anticipation, concealed door handles are about to be banned.

In the eyes of consumers, hidden door handles have evolved from the initial "high - end configuration" representing a sense of technology to a "design flaw" that causes trouble in daily car use.

The embarrassing groping when taking a taxi because one can't find the door - opening mechanism, the helplessness of the elderly and children when facing the sensor - type door handles in family cars, and the frustration of northern car owners when the door handles are frozen. These trivial experiences have completely worn away users' patience and goodwill towards innovative designs.

The door handles that fail to pop out after a collision accident have directly triggered consumers' anxiety and concern: Why should one take life - threatening risks for a flashy design?

After much anticipation, regulatory reforms for hidden door handles have arrived.

On September 24th, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has formed a draft for soliciting opinions on the mandatory national standard "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles". The new technical requirements have made new regulations on the shape, position, and safety requirements of the interior and exterior door handles of automobiles.

Fully hidden door handles with no hand - operating space need to be rectified

The most significant new clause requires that each door handle should have a hand - operating space relative to the vehicle body surface in any state, and this operating space should be no less than 60mm×20mm×25mm.

This regulation means that 90% of the fully hidden door handles on the market will no longer appear. However, the semi - hidden door handles used in models such as the Xiaomi SU7 and the AITO M8 comply with the regulations and do not need to be rectified.

AITO M8 with semi - hidden door handles complies with the new regulations

However, fully hidden door handles are one of the popular designs in new - energy vehicles at present. In the product planning of automobile manufacturers, hidden door handles can not only reduce wind resistance and improve battery life but also enhance the technological attributes of vehicles.

Not only new - energy brands such as Tesla, Li Auto, and NIO have adopted such designs, but also traditional brands such as Mercedes - Benz, BMW, and Volvo have used similar hidden designs in their new models.

However, consumers have long suffered from hidden door handles.

In addition to the troubles of not being able to find or open the door handles, safety accidents such as the risk of fingers being pinched for the elderly and children, the door handles failing to pop out in icy and snowy weather, and the door handles malfunctioning after a collision accident hindering emergency rescue have made car owners worried: Is it really necessary to sacrifice car - using safety for a slight reduction in wind resistance?

The promotion of this new regulation is a direct response to consumers' core concerns. It is also an important signal that the industry's development direction is shifting from "chasing technology" back to "safety first".

The root cause of the rectification of hidden door handles: experience and safety

The hidden dangers of fully hidden door handles have always existed, and automobile manufacturers have been trying to solve their safety and experience problems.

Tesla once recorded in its user manual that users could loosen the ice layer by pressing or hitting. Its executive Tao Lin once responded that users could turn on the air - conditioning heater in advance to melt the ice layer.

Domestic models have adopted more redundant measures, including but not limited to equipping each door with a separate redundant power supply, increasing the power and strength of the door - handle motor, and adding a heating structure to the door handles.

However, this still seems unable to completely solve the safety problems of hidden door handles.

Data from the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index (C - NCAP) shows that in the side - impact test, the success rate of the doors of models equipped with electronic door handles popping out is 67%, while that of mechanical door handles is 98%.

Multiple R & D personnel from automobile manufacturers told 36Kr that "no automobile manufacturer can guarantee a 100% solution to the problem of hidden door handles not opening; they can only reduce the probability", especially in unpredictable collision accidents, automobile manufacturers cannot guarantee the absolute safety of all motors, wiring harnesses, and controllers.

In addition, hidden door handles also pose significant hidden dangers to the safety of the elderly and children when using them. The person in charge of a new - energy brand car owners' club told 36Kr that "almost all the members in our club use cars with their families. More than half of the car owners have encountered situations where children's fingers were pinched by the door handles, and some children even had their fingers fractured."

After communicating with multiple new - energy brand car owners' clubs, 36Kr found that the new regulations on door handles have won the support of many consumers. Some car owners even said that they hope that after the release of models with non - hidden door handles, paid handle - replacement services can also be provided for old car owners.

Multiple R & D personnel engaged in vehicle safety also told 36Kr that both from the perspective of R & D personnel and users, they hope that traditional door handles will make a comeback.

The new regulations affect the global market, and enterprise R & D returns to safety first

Once the new regulations come into effect, newly applied models will be required to meet all the new regulatory requirements by July 1, 2027, and existing models in production should complete the rectification by July 1, 2028.

The rectification time required by the regulations is not urgent. According to the operating rules of the automotive industry, new cars generally change their exterior styling during the mid - cycle facelift, with a cycle of generally 3 - 5 years, which highly coincides with the rectification cycle required by the regulations.

"But actually, it depends on the freeze - point of the R & D process," multiple industry R & D personnel told 36Kr. After a vehicle completes its R & D work, its design plan will be frozen.The new regulations mean that some models will need to be redesigned, which may disrupt the R & D and production schedules of some enterprises.

"However, the electric retractable door handles can actually be locked in the popped - out state through software programming, which is the most cost - effective way," an R & D personnel told 36Kr.

If the shape and position of the door handles are redesigned, the die - casting molds for the car doors and the injection molds for the door interiors also need to be modified accordingly. After the design of the car doors changes, their structural strength will also change, and the vehicle may need to undergo relevant tests such as side - impact tests again.

A supply - chain insider told 36Kr that the four doors of a vehicle correspond to four different die - casting molds. Manufacturing molds not only requires material costs but also a series of fees such as development fees and mold - testing fees. Depending on the weight and material, the cost of the four door molds ranges from about 4 million to 6 million yuan.

The impact of this new regulation may not be limited to the Chinese market.

Currently, models such as the Land Rover Range Rover, the Mercedes - Benz S - Class, and the Maybach S - Class all use fully hidden door handles. However, the manufacturing plants of these models are located overseas, and their production lines supply products globally.

"The access standards for global models generally follow the highest global standards. For the cars we sell in China, some indicators are developed in accordance with the higher EU standards," an R & D personnel from a foreign - funded brand told 36Kr. "We speculate that the hidden door handles will be changed." That is, after the effective date of the regulations, global consumers may bid farewell to the Land Rover Range Rover and the Mercedes - Benz S - Class with hidden door handles.

"This is actually a common occurrence for enterprises," a person engaged in regulatory certification told 36Kr. The trend of automotive globalization is becoming more and more obvious. Almost every enterprise is facing regulations and their changes in multiple countries and regions. "Don't underestimate the resilience of the automotive industry. Every enterprise is mentally prepared to meet stricter regulations and produce safer products."

This rectification and standardization is not only a correction of the design of a door handle but also a calibration of the entire industry's development logic. It is a return from the pursuit of superficial technology to the basic respect for safety.

In the second half of the new - energy vehicle competition, there will be an in - depth contest in terms of safety, reliability, and user experience. Canceling hidden door handles is not a regression of innovation but an official start of a value - returning process.