Tesla recalls 3 million cars as part of China-wide push to stop hidden door handles

BREAKING: Tesla to recall nearly 3 million cars in China as part of a nationwide push to end hidden door handles, installing warning labels to help occupants find manual releases.

Three million Teslas recalled in China, over door handles you can't find.

Here's the problem in one sentence. Modern EVs use electronic latches, which are lovely until the power dies in a crash or a fire, and the manual release is hidden somewhere behind a panel you've never once looked at. These are the cars in question, sleek, flush, and not exactly labelled for emergencies.

Tesla isn't alone. Eleven carmakers in China are recalling vehicles at once, Xiaomi, Xpeng, Zeekr and Lynk and Co among them. Most of the fix is warning labels and software updates, showing occupants where the release actually lives. You can see the scale of production this touches right here.

Beijing already said it, hidden electronic exterior handles are banned from 2027. American regulators are investigating the same Tesla system right now. Tesla says it's redesigning its handles going forward. Which is a quiet admission that the sleekest door on the market was never the safest one.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.