One of the design features that became synonymous with Tesla was banned in China.

Under the new safety rules published on Monday by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold in the country must have mechanical releases on their door handles. The new rules, which will take effect on January 1, 2027, will ban the hidden, electronically actuated door handles popularized by Tesla – and now found in many other electric cars in China.

The new rule dictates that every door (excluding the tailgate) must have a device that mechanically releases the outside door handle. Vehicles must also have a mechanical release inside the vehicle. Bloomberg previously reported of the new safety policy.

Several high-profile fatal incidents, in which riders have been trapped in their vehicles, have raised concerns among safety regulators and advocates around the world. China was the first country to issue a ban.

An Bloomberg investigation In September, problems with hidden door handles in Tesla vehicles were discovered, citing several crashes where first responders or occupants were unable to open the doors because the electronic door locks did not get enough power from the vehicle’s battery system to work properly. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a defect investigation to some Tesla Model Y and Model 3 door handles. While Tesla has manual releases inside its vehicles, federal investigators have noted that the releases can be difficult for children to access, and many owners are unaware of their existence. Some US lawmakers have proposed regulation requires manual door release on all new vehicles.

Deadly incidents in China, including a crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan, prompted regulators there to propose changes to EV door handles last year.

The Chinese government started the process in May 2025 with more than 40 domestic car manufacturers, parts suppliers, and testing institutions participating in the initial research. More than 100 industry experts held several rounds of discussions to determine the standard framework and form a draft standard of what could be Technical Safety Requirements for Vehicle Door Handles rule, according to the standard agencies of the Chinese government.

That includes many automakers, including Chinese companies such as BYD, Geely Holdings, SAIC, and Xiaomi, as well as foreign automakers, including General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Tesla, however, is not listed as an official “drafter,” according to information posted on the standards agency’s website.