China Bans Hidden EV Door Handles in World-First Safety Rule

A door handle on a Tesla Model Y.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

China banned concealed door handles on electric vehicles, the first country in the world to outlaw a design popularized by Tesla Inc. that is now facing global regulatory scrutiny due to a spate of deadly incidents.

Cars sold in China will be required to have mechanical release both on the inside and outside, according to new safety rules the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued on Monday.