China to ban 'hidden' car door handles to address safety fears

FILE photo. The door handle on a 2018 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle is shown in this photo illustration taken in Cardiff, California, US, June 1, 2018. - Photo: Reuters file

BEIJING: China will ban 'hidden' car door handles from 2027, becoming the first country to phase out a design pioneered by Tesla and adopted by Chinese competitors including Xiaomi.

The hidden handle design, which functions through a key fob or mobile phone or by manually pressing it, has drawn scrutiny in both the United States and China over potential safety risks.