{"id":77655,"date":"2026-02-05T17:37:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T20:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotive.einnews.com\/article\/889755363"},"modified":"2026-02-05T17:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T20:37:22","slug":"china-beats-u-s-on-another-automotive-innovation-banning-electronic-door-handles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/05\/china-beats-u-s-on-another-automotive-innovation-banning-electronic-door-handles\/","title":{"rendered":"China Beats U.S. on Another Automotive Innovation: Banning Electronic Door Handles"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Earlier this week, the Chinese government moved to ban retractable door handles in new cars following multiple deaths where occupants were trapped inside burning vehicles. Of course, China isn\u2019t the only country where such incidents have happened. On Wednesday, a new lawsuit was brought to the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts regarding the death of another Tesla<\/a> driver who was unable to escape a vehicle on fire.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers and automakers alike know there\u2019s a problem. So when are they going to step in and address it?<\/p>\n

This latest case<\/a> involved 20-year-old Samuel Tremblett, who called 911 after a collision in October that resulted in his Model Y catching fire. The driver told emergency responders that the SUV was burning and he couldn\u2019t get out, and pleaded for help. Tremblett died as a result of \u201cthermal injuries and smoke inhalation,\u201d per the legal complaint, and his remains were found in the vehicle\u2019s back seat.<\/p>\n

Since reports of similar cases have emerged over the last year, Tesla has stated that it is redesigning its door system to automatically unlock after detecting collisions. Rivian says it\u2019s also reconsidering its approach<\/a> for the upcoming R2 model, after the revised R1 introduced electronic handles that made the physical failsafes particularly difficult to find for rear passengers. One U.S. representative from Illinois introduced a bill last month<\/a> requiring manual interior handles in new cars, but it\u2019s too early to say if the measure has legs.<\/p>\n

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The electronic door handles of a Tesla Model Y, in silver and black, and a Zeekr X7, in blue. Pedro Pardo\/AFP via Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Car manufacturers have favored pop-out, electronic door handles because of the aerodynamic benefits they provide, especially for EVs, which are particularly sensitive to range losses due to drag. But that\u2019s about the only advantage they offer, according to Sam Abuelsamid, vice president at automotive analytics agency Telemetry.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven apart from safety concerns, electrically actuated handles are frequently prone to failing when you try to open the door,\u201d Abuelsamid explained. \u201cThey require some sort of wireless connection to detect the presence of a key (fob, card, phone), and that is often finicky and ends up requiring extracting a key from a pocket anyway. They can also be problematic when iced over following freezing rain.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a vehicle loses power, however, electronic doors go from an inconvenience to a potentially lethal design fault.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome manufacturers, like Ford on the Mustang Mach-E, install a super capacitor in each door to power the latch when power is lost, but that adds cost and complexity,\u201d Abuelsamid said. \u201cIn the event of a crash, we\u2019ve seen that it\u2019s not uncommon for these systems to stop working.\u201d<\/p>\n

The style of handle, beyond whether or not it\u2019s powered, matters too. Flush handles that require the user to push on one side so the other pivots out and can be pulled open can be \u201cmore finicky to use than a traditional handle,\u201d in his words, even if they still function with a dead battery. Those are different from the fully retractable style that we\u2019ve seen causing problems on Tesla vehicles, or those of Chinese automakers like Xiaomi and Nio. Abuelsamid also called out the aforementioned new Rivians, which place mechanical pulls next to electronic ones inside for front seat passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I can say is, why bother with the button at all?\u201d Abuelsamid said. \u201cThis just adds cost and complexity and another thing to break, none of which Rivian can afford when they continue to lose money on every vehicle sold.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Note the extended exterior door handles on the latest Rivian R1S. Brandon Bell\/Getty Images<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Consumer Reports<\/em> has a very helpful guide<\/a> to locating the mechanical backup handles across a number of models from different manufacturers.<\/p>\n

Abuelsamid does not expect the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to implement new regulations around this problem, saying that it\u2019s more likely that automakers engineer new door systems for the Chinese market and incorporate those here. Robby DeGraff, product and consumer insights manager at AutoPacific, is more hopeful that something could change after the recent legal activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think in all the years I\u2019ve been evaluating new vehicles, I\u2019ve used an electronic door latch\/handle that has correctly worked upon first grab,\u201d DeGraff said. \u201cThis is one of those instances where automakers reinvented something that didn\u2019t need to get reinvented, plus, I\u2019m very skeptical that by making a vehicle store handles flush and electronic, that the aerodynamic benefits are good enough to outweigh the safety risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

China\u2019s recent ban requires manufacturers to implement mechanical handles on both sides of the door. That\u2019s a critical point, because this is as much about emergency responders being able to reach trapped occupants as it is occupants being able to escape themselves. At the moment, all we can hope is that the conversation around this flawed technology doesn\u2019t peter out, putting pressure on government and industry to react.<\/p>\n

Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com<\/em><\/p>\n