Nearly 3 million Teslas recalled in China over hidden door handles

Minimalist retractable door handles became a signature feature of electric vehicles (EVs), but the controversial designs are now at the centre of China's biggest car recall, affecting more than 4 million vehicles.

The recall, which includes 2.98 million Chinese-made Teslas, follows safety concerns that the hidden door handles are difficult to locate and open in emergency situations.

Other brands affected by the recall include Chinese carmakers XPeng, Xiaomi and Geely.

Made popular by multi-billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla, hidden door handles are designed to tuck seamlessly within the car's door panel and only extend outwards when an owner approaches their vehicle.

The design came under scrutiny after two fatal crashes in China involving Xiaomi EVs, in which power failures were suspected to have prevented doors from being opened.

Tesla said in a statement on Friday that it was recalling some of its Model 3, Y, S and X vehicles due to door handles that are "difficult to identify and operate because their colour is similar to the interior trim".

This could hinder occupants or rescuers from quickly opening the doors in an emergency, such as during a "severe collision causing the vehicle's low-voltage system to fail."

Tesla said it will place warning labels on the recalled vehicles and issue a software update to automatically lower a vehicle's windows after a collision.