China tightens door-handle rules: mandatory mechanical release after crashes and EV battery incidents
3 min to read
Dec 17, 2025 9:55 PM CET
China opens public consultation on new vehicle door-handle safety standards. Image enhanced by CarNewsChina
High-profile crashes involving Xiaomi’s SU7 electric sedan have renewed attention on door safety. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has launched a public consultation on draft national standards that would require doors to remain mechanically operable after collisions or during battery thermal events. The proposals are open for comment from December 17 to 23, 2025, marking another step in updating China’s mandatory vehicle-safety regulations, according to Y-Auto.
This consultation follows an earlier regulatory step reported by CarNewsChina on September 24, when draft safety requirements for vehicle door handles were first released for public comment. That initial draft outlined the framework for mechanical door-opening functions during emergencies. The newly released documents now provide the formal draft for approval, including detailed technical requirements and test methods, signaling progress toward implementation.
Under the draft standard, titled Automotive Door Handle Safety Technical Requirements, each side door, excluding tailgates, must be equipped with a mechanically released exterior door handle. The design must allow occupants or rescuers to open the door without tools after irreversible restraint-system deployment or battery-thermal propagation events. Vehicles with electronically controlled or automatically activated door-locking systems must still permit mechanical release even when the locking system remains engaged during such events.
Exterior door handles must be located within defined accessible areas on the door or adjacent door frame, depending on the door opening type. Sufficient hand-operating space must always be maintained to ensure mechanical release, even in cases of power loss or system failures.
Interior door-handle requirements are addressed separately. Each side door must include at least one mechanically released interior handle, and any multiple handles must independently enable door opening. At least one interior handle must be clearly visible to occupants, positioned at specified distances from the door edge and relative to the seating reference point. Most interior handles must bear permanent identification markings, including standardized symbols with a minimum size, high contrast, and recognizability in low-light conditions.
The regulation introduces detailed testing procedures covering static and dynamic exterior-handle operation, interior-handle functionality, and handle strength. Exterior handles must withstand a minimum force of 500 newtons without breaking or detaching. By comparison, most interior handles must withstand at least 200 newtons, with lower thresholds for electronic button-style handles. Testing includes simulated collision scenarios, power-disconnection sequences, and post-event door-opening verification.
The draft also defines criteria for determining whether vehicles share the same handle-type configuration and outlines phased implementation timelines. For newly type-approved models, specific spatial requirements will apply 13 months after the regulation takes effect, while all other requirements apply immediately. Vehicles already holding type approval must comply 25 months after the regulation enters into force.
The consultation underscores ongoing regulatory movement toward standardized mechanical door-opening requirements across both new and existing passenger-vehicle models in China.
Adrian, an Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate with a passion for cars, brings his testing expertise and enthusiasm to CarNewsChina. He also enjoys audio, photography, and staying active.
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Would you like this rewritten version to emphasize practical implications for drivers and manufacturers, or keep a more policy-focused tone? Also, do you prefer expanding the background context with brief examples of how similar rules operate in other countries, or sticking closely to the Chinese regulatory framework?
