According to the decree of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the PRC, doors must be mechanically operable both from the outside and the inside even in the event of a complete power failure or after a serious accident. The requirement is aimed at simplifying passenger evacuation and rescuers' access to the cabin.
The decision was made following a series of fatal accidents where electrical system failures locked the doors. Incidents in Chengdu and Tonglin with the Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle are cited: witnesses were unable to open the doors after the impact, and the emergency mechanism was hidden and difficult to access.
The new rules apply to retractable and button electric door handles, which are widely used by Tesla, BYD, and Xiaomi. Previously, such solutions were promoted to improve aerodynamics and a slight increase in range — about 0.6 kWh per 100 km.
Given China's status as the largest car exporter, it is expected that the new requirements will also affect the global automotive industry. Chinese brands will likely unify designs for both domestic and international markets, and Western automakers may revise their platforms to comply with Chinese standards.
Source: Carscoops
