China shows the way on dangerous car doors

BE IT censorship or price wars, Beijing has a track record of cracking down on tech firms for all sorts of reasons. But here’s an effort everyone should get behind: Ridding the streets of electric vehicles (EVs) with doors that don’t open properly after losing power. This endeavour is taking on new urgency following a deadly crash involving a flagship sedan.

The accident last week in the south-western city of Chengdu became the talk of the nation. Not that auto collisions are rare in China. Apart from the flaming wreckage and images of passersby heroically trying to rescue the lone driver, it was notable for the apparent involvement of a vehicle from Xiaomi, the lone tech player to successfully break into the auto industry. 

Police attributed the incident to drunk driving by the deceased motorist. It has renewed attention on China’s EV safety push. Last month, the technology regulator unveiled a proposal to impose new standards on vehicle doors, including an effective ban on flush handles.

Xiaomi was still reeling from public scrutiny following a crash in March involving the same model, the SU7, which was introduced just a year ago to much fanfare and rave reviews. Founder Lei Jun, an admirer of Steve Jobs who ended up outdoing the former Apple chief by actually making cars, kept a low profile in the aftermath.

EVs comprise more than half of domestic auto sales. Their pervasiveness has led to widespread concern that if power shuts due to an accident or dead battery, passengers may be trapped inside. Videos of bystanders trying but failing to open the SU7 doors as a fire raged has further fuelled those fears.

Attention has turned to the stylised handles popularised by Tesla, which give the vehicles a distinctively smooth, aerodynamic and much-copied look. But there have been persistent complaints that these types of handles were not popping out as they should following accidents, leaving rescuers powerless. 

In EVs, every door should be paired with a manual release that overrides the electrical mechanism. In some Tesla models, though, the releases are hidden or even missing on certain doors, according to Philip Koopman, a retired professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert on autonomous vehicle safety.

After years of warnings, the regulatory wheels are starting to turn in two of Tesla’s biggest markets, the US and China, offering sharply divergent approaches.

Last month, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a probe into the Model Y’s handles following a Bloomberg News investigation that profiled cases of people injured or killed by fire when they couldn’t free themselves. Tesla said later it was redesigning its doors.

China is taking a completely different, and welcome, tack. In September, it upped the ante by announcing a proposal, due to be implemented in 2027, dealing with these safety issues. All vehicles must have external handles that leave space for hands to grip, which effectively bans retractable designs. Those handles must be usable from the outside without special tools. Internally, electric handles must be accompanied by manual releases and those switches must be clearly marked.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Auto Safety, told me the rules were “fairly comprehensive” and that China was showing leadership in drawing up basic safety standards for EV doors – which neither the US or Europe was doing. It’s another sign that Beijing is increasingly setting global standards in EV technology as part of its wider industrial policy. In April, regulators tightened safety requirements for batteries to reduce the risk of catching fire or exploding. They have also begun strengthening oversight of driver-assistance features.

Shortly after the latest Xiaomi crash, local media began writing about an executive at Huawei Technologies touting the safety features of its cars in an earlier video. But ensuring people’s well-being on the roads shouldn’t be left to carmakers’ enlightened self-interest alone. 

Governments and regulators have responsibilities, too. With China producing 70 per cent of the world’s clean-energy vehicles and its carmakers looking for new markets, it pays to assure potential customers. Others should follow suit.  BLOOMBERG