Tesla recalls nearly 3 million vehicles in China over door handle safety risk

More than four million cars, including three million Teslas, are being recalled in China due to safety concerns over concealed door handles.The recall, which also affects a number of major Chinese carmakers, is the largest in the country this year.Some 2.98 million Chinese-made and imported Teslas are being called back.External handles that sit flush to the door panel have been popularised by the American EV manufacturer and used across its mainstream vehicle line.As such, the Model 3, Model Y, Model X and Model S are all being recalled to adhere to impending regulations.The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced in February that it will outlaw minimalist, pop-out door handles from January 1 2027 as safety concerns mount about the feature. This is after instances where the handles have lost power after being involved in a crash, making it difficult for emergency services to reach passengers inside stricken vehicles.Recalled Tesla cars will have a warning label stuck on the inside of the door and receive a software update that automatically lowers the windows after a collision. More than four million cars are being recalled in China due to safety concerns over hidden door handles, with over 2.98 million Tesla EVs being recalledXiaomi, the Beijing-based smart driving technology company, is recalling more than 390,900 cars, while Hangzhou-based Leapmotor is calling back more than 370,000 vehicles.Geely and XPeng are also recalling motors.The new rules coming into effect from next year only allow carmakers to sell cars in China if they have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of their doors.The MIIT said that Chinese car models already approved for launch will have an additional two years to redesign their vehicles to be compliant with the new rules.The new regulations will apply to all vehicles but will mostly affect EVs, which are commonly designed with hidden handles, and will 'improve the level of automotive safety design,' the ministry said. The Tesla Model S - which debited in 2012 - is the mainstream model that popularised hidden 'pop-out' handlesMinimalist door handle designs have been the subject of safety concerns after two fatal crashes in China involving Xiaomi EVs, in which power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from being opened.Concealed handles – especially those that pop out of the door panel when the car is unlocked – have become increasingly common after the arrival of Musk's first mass-market EV, the Tesla Model S, in 2012. Sleek and aerodynamic, handles that sink into the door panels can reduce drag and improve the aesthetic of vehicles.However, owners consistently report them freezing shut in winter, as well as raising concerns over their operation when batteries run flat or the cars are involved in collisions.The new rules in China could prompt car makers globally to rethink vehicle designs.Other brands that have historically been popular in China – including Audi, Jaguar Land Rover and Renault – also use pop-out handles on some of their models.The Range Rover and Range Rover Velar have minimalist door handles, as do some of Renault’s EVs including the Megane and Scenic E-Tech. The new £100,000 Range Rover features flush door handles that pop out when the vehicle is unlockedRenault features flush door handles that pop out electronically on some of its new electric models, including the Megane (left) and Scenic E-Tech (right)Predicting how China’s new rules will likely affect UK cars too, Steve Walker, head of digital content at Auto Express said: ‘China’s decision to require mechanical door releases both inside and outside the car could have consequences well beyond its borders. 'Manufacturers won’t want to build completely different cars for different markets, so what happens in China could influence the cars we buy here in the UK. 'And, with the US also looking at tougher rules and Europe reviewing the technology, the days of the flush, electronic door handle could be numbered.’This is Money has contacted Tesla, XPeng, Geely and Xiaomi for comment. CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST