The electronic door handle that Tesla introduced is drawing safety concerns around the world. Because it is embedded in the body surface, it has the advantage of reducing air resistance and offering a sleek design, but in an emergency, if the door does not open, it can lead to fatalities in the worst case. As accidents continued, the United States opened an investigation, and China decided to phase out fully embedded door handles by 2027. Korea plans to begin related discussions as soon as international standards are established.
On the 29th, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the auto industry, the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is discussing safety regulations for electronic door handles in automobiles. The forum brings together transportation authorities from countries around the world three times a year to set international standards related to cars. An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said, "It is currently being discussed in a specialized subcommittee, and a conclusion usually comes within one to two years," adding, "If international standards are adopted, Korea will consider measures such as making (related regulations) mandatory."
Electronic door handles are a design first introduced by Tesla and are commonly adopted in electric vehicles. Unlike conventional handles that protrude outward, they remain hidden in the body under normal conditions. When you carry a smart key and approach the vehicle or touch the handle area, the door opens or the handle pops out. Because the side of the vehicle is smooth without protrusions, air resistance can be reduced. A futuristic and clean exterior is also an advantage. However, in low temperatures, when the battery is completely discharged, or if the system fails due to a crash or other accident, the handle may not deploy.
These handles are increasingly common not only in imported cars such as Tesla but also in domestic models. At Hyundai Motor, such electronic handles are applied not only to electric and hydrogen models such as the Ioniq 5, 6 and 9 and the The All New Nexo, but also to internal combustion models such as the Grandeur. At Kia, electronic handles are installed on the EV3, 4, 5, 6 and 9.
In response, Tesla and others provide a mechanical door release for emergencies, but there are claims that even this is difficult to use properly. According to Reuters and others, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) within the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently launched a defect investigation into the mechanical door release of the Tesla Model 3. It followed a request from a Model 3 owner who said that when a fire broke out in the vehicle, the door would not open, so the owner kicked the door and barely escaped. The owner argued that the release is "hidden, unmarked, and not intuitive to find in an emergency."
In September, NHTSA also opened a preliminary probe after receiving nine consumer complaints that doors on the 2021 Tesla Model Y would not open. At the time, consumers said that when Tesla's electronic door release suddenly failed to operate, it was difficult for a child inside the car to activate the mechanical door release. Recently, Bloomberg reported that over the past 10 years there have been at least 12 cases in which occupants or rescuers could not open doors on Tesla vehicles that caught fire after a crash, resulting in deaths.
Some countries have moved preemptively to regulate electronic door handles. On the 16th, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released draft national standards for "safety technical requirements for automobile door handles" and "safety requirements for electric vehicles" and closed public comments on the 23rd. Under the standards, all doors except the trunk must be equipped with external handles that have a mechanical unlocking function. New cars must meet the standards starting July 1, 2027, and existing cars must be rectified to comply by July 1, 2028.
According to the China Consumers Association, complaints about electronic door handles began to surge last year. Finger pinching accidents involving children increased 132% in 2024 from a year earlier. Other complaints included ▲ poor operation in low temperatures ▲ inability to open or close doors after a crash ▲ difficulty of use for people with disabilities. State broadcaster CCTV said, "(With the creation of these standards) fully embedded door handles will be phased out of the market," adding, "A technology-forward design has degenerated into a 'safety trap.'"
As the controversy continued, Tesla recently introduced a feature that automatically unlocks the vehicle doors for emergency access when a severe crash is detected. However, Bloomberg said, "It is not confirmed when this feature became available or which models it applies to," adding, "Tesla said it may not apply in all regions or to all vehicles, and applicability may vary depending on production date."
Korea plans to encourage the auto industry to voluntarily strengthen door handle safety until international standards are in place. To that end, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) Automobile Safety Research Institute added a "post-crash egress and rescue safety" item to the annual New Car Assessment Program starting this year. Kim Pil-su, a professor in the Future Automotive Department at Daelim University, said, "If related regulations are introduced in Korea, domestic corporations will follow them, but the problem is American corporations like Tesla," adding, "Under the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, there is a limit in that vehicles can be imported if they pass U.S. standards even if they do not match Korean standards."