Major automakers announce vehicle recalls
Eleven carmakers, including Tesla and Xiaomi, launched software updates and vehicle recalls on Friday, the companies said, in China's largest-ever automotive recall campaign, as regulators tighten scrutiny of emergency door-release systems in EVs. Most of the actions, classified as product recalls under Chinese regulations, address concerns that emergency mechanical door release handles may be…
Sixteen major automakers, including Tesla and Xiaomi, initiated a massive recall campaign across China on Friday, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). This unprecedented effort aimed to address concerns surrounding emergency door-release systems in electric vehicles (EVs). Most of the recall actions, classified as product recalls, focused on the difficulty in locating or operating mechanical emergency handles during critical situations.
Nine automakers, including Tesla and Xiaomi, offered free warning labels to identify the emergency handles. The remaining two-thirds of the companies deployed over-the-air (OTA) software updates to improve the accessibility of these handles. The sweeping recall campaign materialized amid Beijing's intensified scrutiny of the EV industry and the introduction of stringent safety standards. Automakers were rolling out new technologies in a highly competitive market, which fueled the urgency of the recalls.
Tesla announced it would recall 2.98 million imported and domestically produced Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles starting from September 25. The US automaker cited a potential issue with the mechanical emergency door-release handles, which could be challenging to identify following a severe collision and electrical system failure.
This finding raised concerns about occupants' ability to escape or rescuers' access to the vehicle. To address this, Tesla included warning labels and an OTA update that would automatically lower vehicle windows following a collision.
At least six other automakers, comprising Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co, disclosed their largest recalls on record on Friday, as reported to SAMR. The recall campaign came at a time when China was poised to ban concealed or hidden door handles as of 2027, marking the first country to phase out a design popularized by Tesla and widely adopted by domestic EV makers.
The prevalent use of this design raised regulatory concerns in China and the United States due to potential difficulties in accessing the handles during emergencies.
Written by urgent.news from RTHK News - Finance's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
