Mandatory National Standard Needed for Electric Vehicle Door Handles: Why?

Recently, the mandatory national standard "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles" organized and formulated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has been officially released and will be fully implemented from January 1, 2027. This standard will focus on solving pain points such as inconvenient operation of exterior door handles and inability to open after accidents, poor operational convenience of interior door handles, and loss of function in some scenarios. What are the specific requirements for safety technology in this standard? And what changes will it bring to our daily travel and industry development? News 1+1 connects with Sun Zhendong, chief expert of China Automotive Technology & Research Center, to bring analysis and interpretation in this episode.

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of China Automotive Technology Research CenterAlthough car door handles are operating components of the door, they are closely related to the safety of the vehicle. They are a very important part of the door opening system, and their safety performance directly affects the escape of occupants and the rescue of people outside the vehicle.

This standard was primarily developed considering that with the development and application of electrification technology, traditional door handles have gradually evolved into electric door handles that vary in form and function. Key safety components such as car door handles have undergone completely new changes in structural form, including system architecture. To adapt to new technologies and emerging product trends, and to meet the needs of industry development and public safety, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology organized the National Automotive Standardization Technical Committee to draft the "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles" standard, to regulate the product design of door handles and improve the technical level of automotive safety.

The first article of the mandatory national standard "Safety Technical Requirements for Automotive Door Handles" specifies requirements for hand operating space and layout areas, meaning the internal space of the door handle and its position on the door, and also stipulates dimensions of 60mm × 25mm × 20mm. Why are these regulations so detailed? The first article of the mandatory national standard "Safety Technical Requirements for Automotive Door Handles" specifies requirements for hand operating space and layout areas, that is, the internal space of the car door handle and its position on the door, and also stipulates dimensions of 60mm × 25mm × 20mm. Why are these regulations so detailed?

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of China Automotive Technology Research CenterThe requirement for 60mm x 25mm x 20mm is primarily based on the structure of the human hand and for ease of opening the car door handle. The 60mm is typically from a horizontal perspective. The 25mm accounts for professional rescuers who usually wear gloves, thus requiring more depth. The 20mm ensures that a hand can fit in to open the car door. The standard has been meticulously considered from these aspects.

The standard stipulates that a hand operation space of 60mm×25mm×20mm must be met in any state. Therefore, hidden door handles will no longer be used in the future.

The mandatory national standard "Safety Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handles" stipulates that each outer and inner door handle must be equipped with an independent mechanical release device.

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of the China Automotive Technology Research Center:Considering that car doors may fail due to battery disconnection in some extreme accidents, and electric door handles cannot open the door without power to the entire vehicle, traditional mechanical door handles are retained as a last resort for opening the door in emergencies to ensure safety as a red line and bottom line.

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of China Automotive Technology Research CenterAddressing the issue of passenger escape and external rescue being hindered by door power failure, we have specifically proposed power-off assessment requirements for the door handle power supply system's battery. From this perspective, not only should there be a battery providing low-voltage power to the entire vehicle, but also the electric door handles should have an emergency power supply to open the doors, including unlocking all four doors, in emergency situations to ensure safety.

The new national standard has been drafted since 2024, spanning nearly two years, involving over 100 drafting experts, and entailing 117 meetings. Why is standardizing such a small component like a car door handle so complex?

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of China Automotive Technology & Research Center. The door handle itself is a safety component, but also related to the vehicle's styling and appearance. How to guide car companies to solve safety issues through standard technical requirements, while allowing them to provide the technological feel and fashion that consumers like, is a key challenge that this standard aims to address.

The meeting was convened 117 times, far exceeding the regular standard drafting process. Simultaneously, we conducted five rounds of extensive technical research across the entire industry and society to address pain points of widespread consumer concern while also accommodating the safety requirements of automotive companies regarding door handles. Therefore, we selected over 30 different vehicle models, varying in weight, size, and technical approach, to conduct a series of experimental verification tests, obtaining first-hand experimental data to ensure the scientific rigor and meticulousness of the entire standard technical solution.

Some media commentators have suggested that China is transitioning from being the world's largest electric vehicle market to becoming the rule-maker for new automotive technologies. In this transition process, what are our strengths and areas for improvement?

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of China Automotive Technology & Research Center With the development of automobiles in new fields such as intelligence and electrification, China's automotive industry has entered a new phase, providing an excellent historical opportunity for China to shift from standard following to rule setting. Under this historical opportunity, by analyzing the development trends of the safety industry, optimizing the standard layout in the safety field, incorporating cutting-edge technologies into standard planning, and guiding enterprises to innovate proactively, we can promote the innovative integration of traditional technologies and emerging scenarios, strengthen automotive safety technology exchange and cooperation with international organizations, and contribute more Chinese solutions to the global improvement of safety performance.

The implementation of the new national standard has provided a transition period for car manufacturers, with the longest transition period lasting 25 months, and the final deadline being January 1, 2029, by which time all vehicles must comply with the standard's regulations. Why is the transition period set for so long, and what factors were considered?

Sun Zhendong, Chief Expert of China Automotive Technology & Research Center To ensure the effective implementation of the standard, we have considered the time required for automakers' technological upgrades, cost investments, and the transition of new and existing products. The standard has formulated a phased implementation plan: some new vehicles will begin implementation starting January 1, 2027; by January 1, 2029, all manufactured models will meet the standard's requirements, thus establishing different starting points for implementation. Following the standard's implementation, it will also guide enterprises in optimizing the product design of door handles, standardizing their structural forms, and comprehensively upgrading their safety performance.