MELAKA: A prominent figure in the historic city’s automotive industry has voiced support for China’s decision to ban “hidden” car door handles beginning 2027, citing safety concerns during emergencies and technical issues.
Negri Sembilan and Melaka Automobile Repair Association's advisor, Datuk Simon Tan Chee Haw, said exterior door handles remain a critical safety feature for passenger vehicles, particularly in situations requiring rapid evacuation.
“As someone who has been in the automotive industry for more than three decades, I'm not in favour of passenger vehicles relying solely on interior mechanisms for safety reasons,” he said after an early Lunar New Year celebration at the GT1 Holdings Sdn Bhd showroom and service centre in Taman Teknologi Cheng, here.
Tan, who is also involved in restoring accident-damaged vehicles, said his experience and feedback from crash victims underscore the importance of accessible exterior handles.
"The exterior handle becomes crucial when a vehicle is involved in a crash, and the driver or passengers need to exit quickly,” he said on Sunday (Feb 8).
He added that exterior handles are equally important when a vehicle’s battery is depleted, adding that mechanics sometimes have to resort to pulling internal cables just to gain access to open the bonnet.
“Therefore, an exterior handle is still necessary,” he said, while acknowledging that some Chinese car models include alternative technical features to address battery-failure situations.
“In a nutshell, we still need an exterior handle,” he added.
On Feb 2, China’s industry ministry announced it would ban hidden car door handles from 2027, becoming the first country to phase out a design popularised by Tesla and later adopted by several Chinese manufacturers, including Xiaomi.
The concealed handle system, typically operated by a key fob, mobile phone or manual press mechanism, has faced scrutiny in both the United States and China over potential safety risks.
Under China's new safety technical requirements, every vehicle door must be equipped with both exterior and interior handles.
