China has become the first nation to require a change to make it easier to rescue people from car crashes: Car doors must be able to open from either side mechanically, like by lifting a handle.
The rules, which go into effect in 2027, follow international scrutiny of a futuristic design first popularized by Tesla, but adopted by many other automakers, in which door handles are electrically powered and hidden. They lie flush with the vehicle’s exterior until they detect an approaching driver and pop out. They were embraced by automakers for both aerodynamic and aesthetic reasons, but introduced a new kind of vulnerability: They can malfunction after a crash or a battery failure.
As Bloomberg News detailed in an investigative report in September, Tesla’s electrically-powered doors could become impossible to open from the outside in an emergency, forcing responders to break windows to extract survivors.
Nice.
One question, though, are hidden ones “prettier”? I mean, I don’t see the point in hiding them in the first place. Door handles are part of a cars esthetic, and I think a car looks “off” if they’re not visible. Kinda for the same reason I think the current EV designs look “off” - They don’t have an air intake, instead the front looks like a cheap plastic toy. I don’t mind EVs, I just think a fake air intake in the front would look better.
Oh, door handles, yeah… A car should have an obvious way of opening the doors, which adds to the safety aspect. Also, door handles can serve more functions than just opening doors: Mine have a very dim pilot light in them which is excellent in the dark. Sometimes you just want to find your way without having to light up the entire neighborhood.
I think they look more futuristic or rather most people think so. I’ve seen some say it’s because they’re aerodynamic and it’s better for that but I don’t know how much drag that could cause at typical speeds.
What’s weird about Tesla is not just the door handles getting in but also coming out too. They have like different ways of getting out if the electric door fails.