On-site investigation of 10 new energy vehicles: Most cannot open the doors in extreme situations, and fully hidden door handles may be banned
Early in the morning of October 13th, on a certain road section in the urban area of Chengdu, a Xiaomi car lost control and collided with something and caught fire due to the driver's drunk and speeding driving. When several passers-by who came to the rescue tried to open the car door, they were caught in a dilemma where "the door couldn't be pulled open from the outside, and it couldn't be opened from the inside even after the glass was smashed" - the fully hidden electric door handles completely failed after a power outage, and ultimately, lives were lost.
This tragic incident has once again escalated the safety controversy over "hidden door handles" from an industry discussion to a national focus.
There were early signs of such a crisis: In March 2024, on a highway in Shanxi, a new energy vehicle had an accident, which cut off the power cord, causing the electric door handles to completely malfunction. Rescue workers had to break the windows to rescue the people inside. This accident was the first to bring the safety hazard of "hidden door handles being unable to be opened in an emergency" to the public's attention; In March 2025, in another new energy vehicle collision accident on a highway in Anhui, the hidden door handles also completely failed due to a power outage, which once again triggered public outrage.
The continuous fermentation of these accidents has prompted the regulatory authorities to accelerate their actions. In July 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology officially launched a pre - research on the safety technology of automobile door handles, systematically investigating the current industry application status and potential risks; In March 2025, the standard drafting group held a key meeting, focusing on core issues such as "functional redundancy under power - off conditions" and "mechanical emergency opening design", and significantly improving the regulatory technical framework; On September 24th, the mandatory national standard (draft for comments) of "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles" was released. It not only added multiple restrictive clauses for hidden door handles but also proposed that the implementation date be set for January 1st, 2027, leaving only a one - year transition period. This means that fully hidden door handles may be banned, and traditional mechanical door handles are expected to make a comeback.
However, before the publicity period of the "Draft for Comments" ended, another tragedy occurred. "For the sake of that almost negligible wind resistance optimization, most car manufacturers have followed the trend of using hidden designs, but sacrificed the most basic safety redundancy." An industry insider who has been deeply involved in the field of automobile design and testing for many years told a reporter from "IT Times" bluntly. The frequent accidents and the upcoming mandatory standards jointly point to a key proposition: When the gimmick of "technological sense" conflicts with the bottom line of "safety sense", the rectification of hidden door handles is essentially an urgent return of the new energy vehicle industry to the design logic of "safety first".
A series of accidents ring the alarm. Is the seemingly accidental "failure to open the door" actually inevitable?
"Within a few minutes after the collision, the vehicle started to smoke, but the driver's door handle wouldn't pop out no matter how hard we pressed it." A witness to the Xiaomi car accident once described the anxious situation at the rescue scene to the media. Even after breaking the window from the outside, the inside door handle couldn't open the door either.
This kind of scenario is not an isolated case. Public data shows that in 2024, traffic accidents caused by door handle failures increased by 47% year - on - year, and about 80% of them were concentrated in models with hidden door handles.
The controversy over hidden door handles exposes the compromises of some car manufacturers under the pressure of cost and development pace.
In May this year, the million - follower science and technology blogger "Hardcore Disassembly" on Bilibili disassembled the door handle of a Xiaomi SU7 "road test vehicle". "After disassembly, it can be seen that the main internal structure consists of two micro - switches and an indicator light." Although the blogger emphasized that the video does not represent the mass - produced SU7, it still intuitively presented the problem: This kind of design relies too much on electronic signals. Once a power outage or collision causes the circuit to come loose, it becomes difficult to open the door.
Image source: Bilibili
The above - mentioned industry insider told the reporter that the cost of a traditional mechanical door lock (with an emergency mechanism) is several hundred yuan. For a normal electric door handle, including sensors, motors, and electronic control components, although the total cost may exceed that of a mechanical door handle, "the cost of the above - mentioned micro - switches is relatively low. With fewer mechanical moving parts, the production is simple, and it can also cater to the 'minimalist technological sense', so it has become an option".
The 2024 collision test report of the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index gives a startling comparison: For models equipped with fully electronically controlled hidden door handles, the probability of the doors popping open successfully after a side collision is only 67%, far lower than the 98% probability of traditional mechanical door handles.
What's even more alarming is the erosion of safety procedures by the "fast - paced" development in the industry. The above - mentioned industry insider revealed that traditional car manufacturers have a strict "multi - round verification" process for safety components: from bench collision tests to real - vehicle rollover tests, and then to verification in extreme environments such as low temperatures and water immersion. A complete process takes at least 18 months. "But some car manufacturers often talk about the 'Internet - style car - making speed'. In order to launch some projects on the market as soon as possible, they will'simplify' the verification process and even sign a 'risk waiver' - even though they know that the reliability of electronic components in extreme scenarios is questionable, they still mass - produce the vehicles."
This "speed - first" logic ultimately transfers the risks to consumers.
A major test of safety redundancy: A world of difference in car manufacturers' designs
Recently, a reporter from "IT Times" visited nearly 10 new energy vehicle brand stores on - site, focusing on the safety of door opening in extreme scenarios. It was found that all car manufacturers have difficulty providing a "perfect" escape plan, and there are differences in the safety redundancy design of door handles among different brands.
A few brands are relatively well - equipped in terms of safety redundancy. Some Tesla models adopt the design concept of "electronic control + mechanical backup". Taking the Model 3 as an example, there is a clearly marked mechanical emergency handle next to the window control buttons inside the door, which can be directly pulled up; There is also an additional bolt at the bottom of the door to secure the door, providing an extra layer of protection in extreme situations.
In the Zhijie R7 and S7 models jointly developed by Huawei and Chery, the internal mechanical emergency handle is also located next to the window control buttons. Although there is no prominent sign, it can be easily pulled up during actual operation. Models such as the ZEEKR 7X have a mechanical keyhole reserved under the outside door handle, which allows for manual unlocking in the event of an extreme power outage. At the same time, there is a "one - key window - breaking" pull - cord above the storage box inside the door, providing a new way to escape.
The safety redundancy design of more brands is still weak. Many car manufacturers still mainly promote fully electric hidden door handles, relying on the electronic system and only adopting a "semi - mechanical" design. Several new energy vehicle salespeople explained to the reporter, "Theoretically, when the door handle doesn't pop out, pressing the front half will make the back half lift up."
However, after the reporter actually tested several new energy vehicles in the locked state, it was found that this operation couldn't open the door. When asked "how to open the door in case of a power outage, the people inside the car are unconscious, and the handle doesn't pop out", many salespeople emphasized that "the auxiliary battery will automatically pop out the handle", and some even admitted that "there is no better solution".
Some salespeople said that the auxiliary batteries of most new energy vehicles are located under the center console, and a few models place them in the trunk. "But if the center console area is severely impacted and the auxiliary battery fails, the accident is often already too serious to be reversed."
Traditional car manufacturers also have potential safety issues in the process of electrification transformation. For example, the FAW - Toyota bZ3 once had a design defect in its "inward - flipping" door handles, which caused a risk of continuous locking or abnormal unlocking of the rear doors. Eventually, 12,205 vehicles were recalled.
The rise of hidden door handles stems from car manufacturers' extreme pursuit of "low wind resistance" and "good looks". Car manufacturers generally claim that this design can significantly reduce the drag coefficient and thus improve the cruising range.
At a press conference of a certain brand, an engineer demonstrated with a precision instrument: When the vehicle speed reaches 126 km/h, four hidden door handles can save an air resistance equivalent to the weight of two eggs.
However, real - world data reveals the flaws in this "technological highlight". Professional research shows that fully activating four hidden door handles can only reduce the drag coefficient by 0.012 Cd. After conversion, the cruising range of an electric vehicle only increases by 5 - 10 kilometers per 100 kilometers. In fact, optimizing the shape of the rear - view mirror to reduce wind resistance has a better effect.
Now, this design competition has become an industry norm, but multiple tragedies have shown that "it's time to rectify hidden door handles!"
Regulatory supplementation: The fully hidden design may face a "ban"
On September 24th, the First Department of Equipment Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the mandatory national standard (draft for comments) of "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles", targeting the safety loopholes of hidden door handles. The deadline for the "Draft for Comments" is November 22nd, 2025, and it is proposed to be implemented on January 1st, 2027.
Image source: Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
This document, which is known in the industry as the "mandatory standard for door handles", puts forward three core requirements: Firstly, all doors (except the tailgate) must be equipped with internal and external handles with mechanical release functions. After a collision or a battery thermal event, the non - collision side doors should be able to be opened without tools; Secondly, an operating space of no less than 60mm×20mm×25mm should be reserved for the outside handle in any state. This size is large enough for an adult to exert force with four fingers; Thirdly, if an electric internal door handle is installed, an internal door handle with a mechanical release function should also be equipped as a mechanical emergency internal door handle. At the same time, the internal door handle should be located in a position where there are no internal components blocking it, ensuring that it is directly visible to the occupants.
The much - discussed "5 - second function inhibition" clause is a key design for collision safety: When "irreversible restraint devices such as airbags are deployed" and seat belts are pre - tightened, the doors need to be locked for 5 seconds and then unlocked. "This is to prevent the doors from opening at the moment of collision and throwing people out, and to provide an escape route after the vehicle's posture stabilizes," explained the above - mentioned industry insider.
To ensure the implementation of the above - mentioned design, the new regulation adds a hard - core verification method: the sled test. In the test, the vehicle body is fixed on a sled, and high - pressure air or hydraulic pressure is used to "launch" it to simulate the force at the moment of collision, triggering the collision sensors on the vehicle, and then activating actions such as airbag deployment and seat belt tightening. At the same time, the door lock starts a 5 - second locking timer. After 5 seconds, the door is unlocked (released), and then it is tested whether the door can be opened manually. This can expose the hidden danger that doors with a fully electronic design cannot be opened without power, and prevent the situation of "passing the laboratory test but failing in an accident".
"This means that fully hidden outside door handles will be prohibited." The above - mentioned industry insider interpreted. The operating space and mechanical release function required by the new regulation fundamentally deny the current mainstream design logic of fully hidden doors. Moreover, making "safety redundancy" a mandatory requirement is a significant challenge for global car manufacturers. "Even imported models have to comply with the new regulation."
Industry reform: Return from "showing off technology" to the essence of safety
To reduce the implementation difficulty, the new regulation sets a differentiated transition period: Newly declared models need to comply within 7 months, that is, July 1st, 2027; Models that have already been approved can be extended to 19 months, that is, July 1st, 2028. After the deadline, non - compliant products will not be included in the production announcement catalog.
Car manufacturers have started to respond actively. Geely, as a participant in the standard - setting process, has revealed that it has reserved other technical solutions to meet the regulatory requirements; Changan Automobile said that it will continue to follow up on the developments and make preparations for implementation; Brands such as Leapmotor and Avita have clearly stated that "they will strictly adapt the door handle configuration according to the regulations". However, the industry is worried that the design modification of some mass - produced models may face cost pressure, especially for models with an integrated body design. Adjusting the door handle mechanism may involve changes to the body structure.
Some experts point out that the introduction of the new regulation fills the regulatory gap, but it also reflects the long - standing contradiction between automotive safety regulation and the product iteration speed. "A risk assessment mechanism should be established during the new technology R & D stage to make safety considerations a priority, rather than supplementing regulations after frequent accidents."
The tightening of regulations is prompting the industry to re - evaluate its design concept. More and more car manufacturers are starting to abandon the "technology - first" concept and regard safety redundancy as a core design indicator.
On September 23rd, the Shangjie series of models jointly developed by Huawei and SAIC adopted traditional mechanical outside door handles; Car manufacturers such as GAC and Deepal have currently started to adjust their in - development models; Previously, Tesla also revealed that it plans to redesign its outside door handle system.
"Although door handles are small, they are the 'last barrier' for life safety," emphasized the above - mentioned industry insider. Innovation in new energy vehicles should be based on safety redundancy, rather than sacrificing safety for the sake of a gimmick.
With the implementation of the new regulation and the deepening of industry reflection, hidden door handles will bid farewell to the "wild growth" stage and enter a new stage of "safety first, moderate innovation".
Images / Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Bilibili, IT Times