Chinese authorities are reportedly considering a ban on fully retractable door handles, citing safety hazards and functional issues, reported Car News China. Citing automaker personnel who spoke to news site Mingjing Pro, discussions are underway for new regulations to prohibit fully retractable door handles. Traditional and semi-retractable door handles would still be permitted, but they must incorporate mechanically redundant function for reliability, the report wrote. A regulation draft for mandatory door handle standards is expected to be finalised this month, and this proposal suggests a ban on fully retractable door handles with a one-year transition period, according to the publication. Enforcement is then to be carried out from July 2027, and thus new vehicles sold in China will not be permitted to feature such door handle designs after that date. Discussions on the matter also included automatic unlocking mechanisms for situations such as accident scenarios, it added. While flush-fitted, fully retractable door handles offer perceived aerodynamic benefits and thus, energy efficiency improvements, the gains made and the safety compromises that result have been called into question, according to the report. Car News China cited engineers calculations as having found that these handles offer a 0.01 Cd reduction in drag coefficient, translating to energy savings of approximately 0.6 kWh per 100 km, thus bringing negligible savings in home charging, the report wrote. Meanwhile, the weight penalty of 7 to 8 kg from the motors and mechanisms required for the operation of the retractable door handles could also negate any gains made from aerodynamic improvements made. The report also cited safety failures in the event of power loss or fire, resulting in the door handles becoming inoperable and preventing the vehicle’s doors from opening. Crash tests by the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index (C-IASI) showed that electrically operated door handles attained a door pop-out success rate of 67% in side collisions, compared with a 98% success rate for mechanical handles. The National Accident In-depth Investigation System (NAIS) reported a 47% increase in accidents caused by door handle failures in 2024, of which hidden handles accounted for 82% of these incidents, the report added. Meanwhile, the Consumer Association in China noted a 132% increase in complaints of finger pinch incidents due to hidden door handles last year, with more extreme cases resulting in broken bones.
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