China orders record EV recall, including 2.98 million Teslas
What's next: China plans to bar hidden door handles from 2027, forcing carmakers to add mechanical releases inside and outside doors.
China has launched its biggest automotive recall campaign, targeting more than 4 million vehicles over emergency door-release safety, including 2.98 million Tesla cars. The action covers 11 automakers, among them Tesla, Xiaomi, Xpeng, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and Leapmotor, after regulators found some mechanical release handles were too hard to identify or use in a crash or power failure. Most companies will add warning labels near the handles, and several will push over-the-air updates that can lower windows after a collision. The sweep marks a tougher regulatory push in the world’s biggest auto market as Beijing tightens EV safety rules and prepares to ban concealed door handles starting Jan. 1, 2027.