Authorities in China are mulling a ban on flush door handles on cars, citing safety concerns, posing a challenge for automakers that have widely adopted the design into their vehicles, especially EVs like Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA).

What Are Flush Door Handles And Their Risks?

Flush door handles, simply put, are door handles that retract inside the door panel when not in use, providing a smooth design on the door, unlike traditional door handles that protrude. Most widely, Tesla has been known to use them.

While the door handles do lend an aesthetically unique appearance to vehicles, they do pose some risks. Mainly, the door handles are electrically controlled and if the car were to lose power, the occupants inside could risk being trapped, which poses a danger in an emergency.

Multiple Incidents, Ford’s Recall

This was evidenced in a recent article by Bloomberg that recounts a 2023 crash in Virginia where a couple was trapped in a Tesla Model Y because the doors wouldn't unlock as the car had lost power. The couple ended up sustaining burn injuries.

While car companies say that there are emergency releases for the doors, they could be tricky to find and could cost first responders precious seconds as they try to carry out their rescue operations.

Another incident, involving a Cybertruck, which recently received a 5-star safety rating, was reported by The Independent earlier this year after a 47-year-old man, Michael Sheehan, from Texas, lost his life after hitting a concrete culvert with his Cybertruck, triggering a thermal runaway reaction as the batteries heated up quickly and ultimately caught on fire.

The family sued Tesla for its defective design, alleging that Sheehan was trapped inside the Cybertruck after the electronically-operated door handles failed to open because of a loss of power and the emergency door releases were "unreasonably difficult to locate in an emergency," the family said in the lawsuit.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) also recalled over 197,000 units of the Mustang Mach E following an investigation by the NHTSA, which said that the occupants in the backseat could be trapped inside in emergency situations should the front occupants leave the car or the car have a loss of power due to the electronic doors.

China's Proposed Ban

Authorities in China, meanwhile, are proposing a ban on flush door handles in the country, citing safety concerns with the design, as reported by local publication Mingjing Pro on September 4.

The report said that authorities expect to implement the ban by July 2027, meaning that vehicles manufactured after that date would not be permitted to have the retractable door handles.

"We have already notified various projects to implement this," the source cited in the report said. The report also suggests that the design saves 0.01cd wind resistance, which saves over 0.6 kWh per approximately 62 miles (100 km).

Other Companies Using The Design, NHTSA's Response

Other companies in the U.S. also use the design, like General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) for the Cadillac Lyriq, as well as the Corvette C8. The now-defunct company Fisker also used the flush design in its Ocean SUVs, which have now found a second life in NYC as fleet vehicles.

However, despite the proposed ban in China, there are currently no plans or investigations in place by the Department of Transportation or the NHTSA to potentially ban or regulate the design in the U.S.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. 

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