Tesla’s Next Steps in Redesigning Its Door Handles to Meet New Regulations

The era of the hidden door handle — long a hallmark of Tesla’s minimalist design and aerodynamic focus — appears to be ending. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has released detailed regulatory sheets that set strict new safety requirements for vehicle entry systems.

Coinciding with a new federal investigation by the NHTSA in the United States, this regulatory shift establishes a clear mandate: the method for opening a car door during an emergency must be obvious, mechanical, and usable without special knowledge.

For Tesla, meeting those requirements will likely force a redesign of one of its most recognizable features.

China’s New Standard

The requirements are laid out in the draft document titled “Safety Technical Requirements for Car Door Handles,” released by MIIT on December 16, 2025. Although it is a domestic standard for China, the size of Tesla’s production at Giga Shanghai means the rules will almost certainly affect global production and design, especially with parallel scrutiny from the NHTSA.

The draft is explicit about removing ambiguity during emergencies. It requires vehicle doors to include a mechanical release handle that acts as a fail-safe if electronic power is lost. Regulators also emphasize accessibility: the mechanical release must be clearly identifiable and operate within a defined physical space that allows straightforward manipulation.

Put simply, the aim is to ensure that anyone — even someone unfamiliar with a specific vehicle — can open a door in an emergency, a task that can currently be difficult. Despite many years of strong global sales, people still frequently fumble with the Model 3 and Model Y’s hidden exterior handles because they do not know how to operate them.

Interior Emergency Egress

The new rules directly challenge Tesla’s interior design choices and will require significant changes. The Model 3 and Model Y are notable examples, with emergency mechanical releases often concealed beneath compartments or door trim on the rear doors. The Model X is particularly problematic, where accessing the Falcon Wing door emergency release can require partial removal of speaker covers.

A recent guide outlines how to open Tesla door handles in an emergency.

The NHTSA Investigation

Tesla is also under pressure in the United States. In late December, the NHTSA opened a Defect Petition (DP25002) specifically investigating the safety of Tesla’s electronic door latches.

The probe was prompted by reports of occupants being trapped in vehicles during low-voltage power failures, unable to find the emergency release quickly and safely. The combination of proactive standards in China and reactive investigations in the U.S. means maintaining the status quo is no longer tenable from a legal or safety perspective.

The Interior Solution

Tesla’s design team appears to be working on fixes. Head of Design Franz von Holzhausen acknowledged the issue earlier this year and said the company was engineering a solution to balance electronic convenience with mechanical safety.

The most likely approach is to combine the electronic and mechanical latches into a single interface. Today, the exterior handle or interior button sends an electronic signal to a door actuator; if that fails, the user must locate a separate manual release. A combined design would allow the same handle to serve both functions: an initial portion of travel triggers the electronic switch when power is available, while continuing to pull the handle further would engage a mechanical release if power is lost.

Solving for the Panic Factor

Progressive latch designs have already been used by other manufacturers and would meet the Chinese requirements for a clearly identifiable mechanical release while preserving a clean interior. Crucially, they also address human behavior in emergencies: instinctive, stronger pulls on a handle will naturally engage the mechanical fail-safe without requiring users to find hidden releases.

The Exterior Solution

The Chinese rules also affect exterior designs. Flush door handles have been part of Tesla’s signature approach for more than a decade because they reduce drag and improve range. However, requirements around accessibility and operational space conflict with fully flush mechanisms.

In severe accidents with power loss, Model 3 and Model Y exterior handles generally remain operable, but on some Model S units the handles can stay retracted and inoperable. The current exterior designs are not always intuitive for untrained bystanders or first responders and can be difficult to use.

Tesla will likely need to revise the Model S design in particular to comply, while the Model 3 and Model Y are expected to adopt a similar one-motion electronic-to-mechanical release in future iterations.

Global Design Changes

Although the Chinese regulations are still in draft form, timelines are accelerating. New designs are likely to appear in late 2026 or early 2027, with the regulatory requirement date appearing to be late 2027.

Because Tesla favors manufacturing efficiency, it is unlikely to produce separate doors for China and the U.S.; instead, a single design that meets stricter safety standards will probably become the global default.