Tesla’s Electric Door Handles Trigger Huge Recall In China: Here’s Why

Tesla and at least eight other carmakers are recalling around 4.27 million vehicles in China over safety concerns linked to electric door handles, in one of the largest recall actions of its kind in the country, according to a Bloomberg report.

Tesla accounts for the largest share, with just under 3 million vehicles included in the action announced on Friday. The affected vehicles have electrically controlled door handles that may stop working in some crashes, potentially making it difficult for occupants to escape or rescuers to open the doors.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said the problem could delay occupants trying to leave a vehicle and hinder rescue efforts from outside. As part of the recall, Tesla will update software to automatically lower the windows after an accident and add warning labels showing the location of emergency door releases.

Tesla, Xiaomi Among Carmakers Affected

Xiaomi accounted for the second-largest number of vehicles in Friday’s recall, with 390,435 SU7 electric sedans affected. Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology is recalling another 371,200 vehicles, according to statements from China’s market regulator.

The total number of electric vehicles covered by the action reached about 4.27 million across nine carmakers. The scale of the recall makes it one of China’s largest actions involving the same type of quality issue, according to Li Yanwei, an adviser to the China Automobile Dealers Association.

The recall comes after several incidents involving vehicles with flush or electrically operated door handles. In some crashes, the systems have reportedly stopped working after the vehicles lost power, leaving occupants unable to open the doors.

Why Electric Door Handles Are Under Scrutiny

The safety concerns are particularly serious when a vehicle catches fire after a crash. Bloomberg has previously reported on at least 15 deaths in 12 incidents where occupants or rescuers were unable to open the doors of Tesla vehicles that had crashed and caught fire.

China has already taken steps to address the wider issue. Earlier this year, it banned concealed door handles on electric vehicles, becoming the first country to outlaw the design.

The latest recall also comes as China tightens safety rules for electric vehicles and other automotive technologies. In the US, auto safety regulators said last month they would begin the process of introducing a new federal rule to address concerns over unsafe door handles.