The past year has been messy for car design.
Not “oops, bad colour choice” messy.
More like “people can’t get out while the car is on fire” messy.
Now China has finally had enough.
Starting with electric vehicles, China is banning retractable, pop-out door handles. And a newly resurfaced crash video explains exactly why this move was not optional — it was overdue.
The Video Everyone’s Talking About
The clip going viral today shows a Dongfeng eπ007 after a crash. Dongfeng later confirmed the accident actually happened on March 19, 2025, in Wenshan, Yunnan province.
This matters because the video isn’t some random internet rumour. It’s real. And it’s brutal.
The eπ007 — which, by the way, forms the base for Nissan’s popular N7 — spins off the road after colliding with a truck. It slides, hits some construction fencing, and stops.
Visually?
It doesn’t look catastrophic.
But somewhere during that impact, the battery gets punctured. And that’s when everything goes sideways.
Why Seconds Count (And Design Failed)
The driver gets out fast. So far, so good.
Then he tries to open the rear door.
Nothing happens.
The flush door handles don’t pop out. They’re completely dead. Then his own door shuts — and suddenly, that one won’t open either.
At 29 seconds after impact, smoke is already pouring out from the passenger side. All doors are shut. No power. No response.
Honestly, this is the nightmare scenario nobody wants to imagine — but designers should have planned for.
From Smoke to Fire in Under a Minute
The driver starts smashing the window with his elbow. Another man runs in. They grab rocks. Glass finally breaks.
They pull out two occupants quickly.
But time is slipping.
At 52 seconds after the crash, flames are clearly visible outside the car. Inside? The cabin is completely filled with thick black smoke.
Still, one final passenger is trapped.
Against all odds, the rescuer manages to pull that last person out while the car is fully on fire. Everyone involved shows burn marks on their clothes and faces.
This wasn’t bravery alone.
This was a race against design failure.
The Human Cost Nobody Brags About
All three passengers survived but suffered serious burns. Thankfully, none were life-threatening.
The rescuer? He paid a heavy price.
Months later, five of his fingers were still bandaged. He said the injuries might stop him from returning to work as a truck driver.
That’s the part people forget.
When design fails, someone else pays for it — usually with their body.
Dongfeng Responds
On February 5, Dongfeng’s eπ brand released a statement confirming the crash happened in March 2025. They expressed sympathy to everyone involved and said their team cooperated fully with authorities at the time.
According to Dongfeng, the fire was triggered after a high-speed collision with a truck. They also warned that clips circulating online might not show the full context and could cause distress.
It’s also worth clearing this up: some Chinese reports claimed a front-seat passenger died, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Still, even without fatalities, the lesson here is painfully clear.
Why China Pulled the Plug on Hidden Handles
This crash is exactly why China has moved to ban pop-out door handles.
These designs depend on electronics.
Electronics depend on power.
Fires don’t wait for systems to reboot.
When batteries fail, software is useless. Mechanical systems aren’t glamorous, but they work when everything else is dead.
A door handle is not a luxury feature.
It’s an emergency exit.
Between You & Me
Between you & me, this whole situation feels like designers forgot what cars are for.
Somewhere along the way, “looking futuristic” became more important than “getting out alive.” Flush handles look cool in showrooms. They photograph well. They make spec sheets sound impressive.
But when the car is burning?
Nobody cares how clean the panel gaps are.
A handle should open. Every time. No drama. No power required. End of story.
If this crash doesn’t convince the global auto industry to rethink what must stay mechanical, I honestly don’t know what will.
The Takeaway Nobody Should Ignore
China’s ban isn’t anti-technology.
It’s pro-survival.
Technology is great for comfort.
Mechanics are non-negotiable for emergencies.
If it wasn’t obvious before why manual, fully operable door handles matter — this incident should make it painfully clear.
Design should never trap people inside their own cars.
Sources
- Viral video footage and eyewitness accounts from the March 19, 2025 Wenshan, Yunnan crash
- Dongfeng eπ official statement issued February 5
- Reporting on China’s ban of retractable door handles in electric vehicles
- Coverage of EV fire safety and global scrutiny of electronic door handle designs
