In China, millions of cars are being recalled — in Israel, they're waiting for the Europeans to decide

The regulator in China has ordered many car manufacturers, including Tesla and Geely, to recall millions of cars due to the danger of hidden door handles that could prevent rescue in an accident. In Israel, however, a similar recall has not yet been announced, as the Ministry of Transportation relies on decisions by the European regulator, even though a significant portion of the Israeli car market consists of Chinese models. The gap between Israeli policy and actual needs could endanger drivers.

About two weeks ago, the regulator in China urgently ordered many car manufacturers, including Tesla, Geely, XPeng, Zeekr, and Xiaomi, to recall millions of cars. The reason: hidden door handles, a gimmick that has become common in electric vehicles, could prevent rescue in the event of an accident or fire, as happened in the death of a Xiaomi driver in China. The recall includes installing a prominent sticker on the internal emergency handle and a software update for automatic window opening during an accident. While in China the problem was addressed on a scale of seven million vehicles, in Europe the Dutch regulator RDW has not yet announced a similar recall. In Israel, the Ministry of Transportation relies on decisions by the European regulator, even though the Israeli car market is fundamentally different: Chinese manufacturers and Tesla (which produces in China) are approaching a combined market share of 50%, compared to about 10% in Europe. The article notes that recalls announced in Australia for Chinese models like Chery and Jacco have not reached Israel, and raises concerns that reliance on the European regulator could cost lives.

In China, millions of cars are being recalled — in Israel, they're waiting for the Europeans to decide