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Concerns over the safety of flush car door handles – a design popularised by EV manufacturer Tesla – have risen after a spate of deadly incidents globally.

Published Feb 09, 2026, 05:37 PM

Updated Feb 09, 2026, 06:28 PM

SINGAPORE – The Land Transport Authority is closely monitoring developments of relevant standards for hidden electronic car door handles for local adoption.

This comes after China became the first country to ban concealed door handles

In response to queries on Feb 9, an LTA spokesperson said the authority “regularly reviews vehicle technical requirements to keep pace with industry and technological developments”, adding that it is aware of global developments linked to hidden electronic door handles.

“LTA is also engaging the industry on emergency mechanical door release features in vehicles with electronic doors and the lead time required for models without such features to comply,” the spokesperson said.

Drivers of vehicles with emergency mechanical door release features are advised to familiarise themselves with the mechanism. This includes reading instructions in the car owner’s manual and seeking advice from their vehicle retailers or the previous owner of the vehicle.

Concerns and global regulatory scrutiny over the safety of flush car door handles – a design popularised by EV manufacturer Tesla – have risen after a spate of deadly incidents in which such doors were unable to open properly in accidents.

In October 2025, a driver of a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan in China died after the vehicle burst into flames following a collision, with bystanders unable to open the doors to rescue the driver

There were 41,732 electric cars on Singapore’s roads, representing 6.3 per cent of the total car population here,

Drivers in Singapore are increasingly opting for EVs, with 43 per cent of new car registrations in the first nine months of 2025 being those of electric cars.

EVs accounted for 33.8 per cent of new car sales in 2024, and 18.2 per cent in 2023.

The Straits Times has contacted carmakers Tesla and BYD for comment.

Electric and hybrid vehicles

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