Starting 2027, New Cars Must Have Manual Door Handle Release: National Standard Mandated

To address safety concerns that concealed door handles may fail to open during accidents, China has issued a new national standard—“Safety Technical Requirements for Automotive Door Handles” (GB 48001-2026)—which will take effect on January 1, 2027. The regulation explicitly requires all vehicle doors to be equipped with manually operable mechanical external handles and ensures they can be reliably opened after a crash, providing sufficient space for hand operation. The standard will be implemented in phases: it will apply to all newly submitted vehicle models starting in 2027, and extend to all previously approved models from January 1, 2029. This measure aims to enhance vehicle passive safety at the design stage and ensure occupants’ ability to escape in emergencies. Public concern over the safety of hidden door handles was previously heightened by an incident involving a Tesla Model Y, where fatalities occurred due to doors failing to open after a crash.