Technology
China to Ban Electronic Door Latches and Pop-out Door Handles by 2027
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Starting in 2027, the Chinese government will prohibit the registration of new vehicles equipped with fully retractable door handles and purely electronic unlocking systems. This follows a new regulation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), officially published on February 3, 2026. All new models entering the market after January 1, 2027, must comply with these updated standards. Models that are already approved or in the final stages of approval may continue to be sold with current handle designs until 2029, at which point they must be retrofitted or redesigned.
Starting in 2027, the Chinese government will prohibit the registration of new vehicles equipped with fully retractable door handles and purely electronic unlocking systems. This follows a new regulation from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), officially published on February 3, 2026. All new models entering the market after January 1, 2027, must comply with these updated standards. Models that are already approved or in the final stages of approval may continue to be sold with current handle designs until 2029, at which point they must be retrofitted or redesigned.
Mechanical Door Releases Become Mandatory
Under the new regulations, car doors must be capable of being opened mechanically from both the inside and the outside. Furthermore, the rules appear to mandate sufficiently large recesses for gripping, as well as small interior placards indicating the door-opening method and handle locations. These measures are intended to address issues such as unintuitive handle operation and mechanical failure following an accident. However, specific details on how these requirements will be implemented in practice—particularly the exact technical standards for mechanical overrides—have yet to be fully clarified.
The new mandates target safety concerns surrounding flush-mounted door handles: these systems typically trigger an electronic latch rather than a mechanical one. In the event of an accident where the electrical circuit is interrupted, these doors can often become impossible to open from the outside.