China flexes its auto-safety chops with huge recall of Tesla, other cars
Nine automakers will add clearer labels and emergency software fixes after regulators said hidden handles can trap passengers when power fails.
- On August 21, China's State Administration for Market Regulation ordered nine automakers, including Tesla and Xiaomi, to recall 4.3 million vehicles over door-release mechanisms that can be difficult to identify during emergencies.
- Minimalist door handles, popularized by Tesla and adopted by Chinese manufacturers, faced scrutiny after fatal accidents involving allegedly trapped occupants, as analysts note these designs can be confusing if electrical power fails.
- To resolve safety concerns, manufacturers will deploy software updates to lower windows and apply warning labels inside vehicles. Tesla is recalling nearly 3 million cars, while Xiaomi, XPeng, and Geely are recalling over 750,000 vehicles combined.
- China announced in February a ban on exterior electronic handles without traditional manual mechanisms, effective January 1, 2027, requiring new vehicles to carry physical release mechanisms and interior signage.
- China's aggressive safety oversight signals a shift in global regulatory leadership, historically held by the United States and European Union, as experts suggest other markets may eventually adopt similar requirements.
18 Articles
18 Articles
While China is recalling millions of vehicles, there is no comparable measure in Europe so far. New rules for emergency openings are under discussion.
DVSA confirms 'review' of car safety rules after recall of 4M vehicles
The UK's vehicle safety regulator has announced that it is keeping certain new rules "under review" after almost three million Tesla models were recalled.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that there are no recalls for Tesla vehicles in the UK at the moment, but the situation is being "reviewed".It follows the decision to recall more than four million vehicles in China in response to "hidden" or flush door handles.China…
The Toronto Star
The Hamilton SpectatorA Tesla fire in Toronto turned fatal when doors wouldn’t open. Now the company is recalling 3 million EVs in China over the handles
Handles rely on an electric current to unlatch doors and may not work if circuit is interrupted, a Star investigation found.
China tightens controls on e-vehicle safety, biggest blow to Tesla. Keys have become a safety issue that could change cars in Europe as well.
Tesla Recalls 2.98 Million Cars Over "Hidden Handles" Safety Issue
[Image: CC] China’s State Administration for Market Regulation says Tesla will recall 2.98 million China-made and imported EVs from 25 September 2026 over concerns about the flush “hidden handles”. The issue is not the exterior handle doing its little pop-out party trick. It is the interior emergency mechanical release, which the regulator says can be hard to spot because its colour is too close to the trim. In the kind of extreme situation nobo…
For years China has pushed the car industry to run. More autonomy, faster charging, more sophisticated software, assisted driving and housing dominated by screens. Now, however, Beijing seems to have understood that innovation cannot be at the expense of security. The most obvious signal has arrived with the biggest call ever decided on [...] L'articolo Electronic handles under charge, maxi call for 4.3 million cars in China comes from Il Fatto …
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