Tesla will carry out its largest-ever recall in China because of flush door handles that can trap occupants during emergencies.
Bloomberg and other foreign media reported on the 21st, local time, that Tesla will recall about 3 million vehicles after China's State Administration for Market Regulation raised concerns about the safety of the recessed door handles on its electric vehicles. Prompted by the recall, Tesla plans to add software that automatically rolls down windows after a crash, along with labels indicating the location of the emergency manual release.
Other Chinese EV brands, in addition to Tesla, also announced handle-related recalls. The combined recall covers nine automakers and 4.27 million vehicles, the largest recall for a single quality issue ever conducted in China. Tesla accounts for the biggest share at 2.98 million vehicles, followed by Xiaomi at 390,440. Leapmotor (371,200), Xpeng (264,840) and Zeekr (92,660) also joined the recalls.
Flush electric handles are a design adopted by many EV makers because they reduce air resistance and offer a clean look. But when a collision cuts off power, the handles fail to pop out, leaving occupants trapped. Bloomberg has reported that at least 15 people died when rescuers were unable to open the doors of Tesla vehicles engulfed in fire after crashes. Chinese authorities became the first in the world to ban flush handles earlier this year.
U.S. transport authorities are also preparing measures. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating cases of occupants being trapped in the Tesla Model Y, and lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require manual door releases on new vehicles and provide means for rescuers to enter vehicles.
South Korea has no standards for flush door handles yet. An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "China created standards for flush handles, and the recall was carried out accordingly," adding, "We plan to pursue related legal revisions along with discussions to establish international safety standards."
