Analysis: China’s Door Handle Crackdown Is a Wake-Up Call for Indian Authorities

If you’re a petrolhead like us, there is nothing quite as satisfying as a ‘clean’ profile. But we seem to have entered an era where car designers treat door handles like unwanted pimples, hiding them behind motorised flaps or in recesses to achieve that ‘flush’ effect. But as we transition into the electric age, these disappearing handles are proving to have a darker side.

The reality check comes from China.

In a rare move that prioritises safety over new-age aesthetics, Chinese authorities have introduced the mandatory GB 48001-2026 standard. Starting January 2027, the purely electronic, fully flush handle is essentially dead. The reason? People are losing their lives because they can’t get out of their cars in time after an accident.

We’ve seen the grim headlines: from Tesla Model S accidents in the US and Germany to recent fiery crashes involving the Xiaomi SU7 in China. In these high-voltage nightmares, a crash often severs the 12V battery line. When the power dies, the ‘smart’ handle stays retracted. Rescuers are left clawing at a flat sheet of metal while passengers are trapped inside. It’s a design-induced entrapment that turns a luxury vehicle into a high-tech tandoor.

The Chinese solution is simple: the 60x20x25mm rule. No matter how ‘flush’ you want your car to look, there must be a permanent gap large enough for a human hand to grip and mechanically override the lock - no electricity required. Even the push-to-pivot handles like the Mahindra XUV 700 don’t qualify because they don’t provide that immediate, any-state grab-and-pull access.

In India, we are currently in the midst of an EV and luxury SUV explosion. Our roads are chaotic, and our emergency response times aren’t exactly world-class. Yet our showrooms are also increasingly filled with new models that hide their handles like shy teenagers. We, too, are adopting the ‘cool’ tech without the safety guardrails that Europe and China are now scrambling to implement.

So, here’s a thought for the folks at MORTH and ARAI: Do we really need to wait for a high-profile tragedy on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway before we realise that an accessible door handle can be the difference between life and death?

Aesthetics are great for Instagram, but in a crisis, anyone would trade a seamless design for a good, old-fashioned mechanical lever you can actually find in a cloud of smoke. After all, what’s the point of a car that looks like the future if it won’t let you live to see tomorrow?