China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has taken action to address the security risks posed by electronic and concealed door handles in automobiles. The Ministry has publicly released a draft mandatory national standard, “Automobile Door Handle Safety Technical Requirements.” This draft, which will be open for comment until November 22, 2025, mandates mechanical opening systems in vehicles.

Do automatic door handles pose a security risk?

According to the draft, all doors except trunk lids must be equipped with mechanical exterior door handles. Doors that are not impacted must be able to be opened from the outside without tools, particularly in the event of a thermal event caused by the battery. Regardless of their position, exterior handles must provide a hand-operated area of ​​at least 60 mm x 20 mm x 25 mm.

Furthermore, all doors must be equipped with mechanical interior handles that operate without tools. If electric interior handles are used, a replacement mechanical handle is mandatory. Interior handles must be easily identifiable and clearly visible, located no more than 300 mm from the door edge, and in areas suitable for designated seating positions.

Rong Hui, Vice President of the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, stated that these standards were developed after extensive research with more than 20 companies and 63 vehicle models. These requirements target key industry pain points.

MIIT is known to have examined more than 230 vehicle models and conducted tests on more than 20. More than 100 domestic and international manufacturers, parts suppliers, and testing organizations also contributed to the process.