China to dump unsafe EV cars in Australia -
with doors you can't open in an emergency.
https://theconversation.com/as-china-bans-new-cars-with-unsafe-doors-australia-r...As China bans new cars with unsafe doors,
Australia risks becoming a ‘dumping’ ground.
Published: July 27, 2026 6.04am AEST
Australia risks becoming a “dumping” ground for electric cars following the introduction of new Chinese safety rules from next year, a report for Australian car dealers has warned.
Hidden or retractable door handles have become a common feature of many modern electric cars, popularised by Tesla. Last year, China Daily reported around 60% of China’s 100 bestselling “new-energy vehicles” – electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids or cars powered by fuel cells – had concealed handles.
From January 1 next year, China is phasing in a world-first ban on hidden or retractable electric car door handles.All new cars sold in China will need handles that can be manually opened in an emergency, even when a car has lost power. The US is currently considering a similar move.
China’s ban followed a series of sometimes fatal incidents, where people were trapped inside burning, flooded or frozen cars, with doors unable to be opened from the outside.
Meanwhile, it appears increasingly likely that from mid-next year, China could also force carmakers to reintroduce more physical buttons and levers back into new cars. Large touchscreens without physical controls have been shown to be dangerously distracting for drivers.
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