Exclusive: ANCAP to test power-operated car doors from 2026

The boss of Australia’s independent crash test safety authority, ANCAP, is calling on the government to close a “regulatory loophole” around the manual operation of powered car doors and has today revealed to carsales it will introduce new testing protocols from 2026.

The move will potentially make it more difficult for some vehicle manufacturers to achieve the maximum five-star safety rating.

ANCAP is also calling on the government to amend Australian Design Rules (ADR) in relation to door release systems so occupants can easily exit the vehicle in the event of an emergency.

“From a regulatory perspective, there is a clear opportunity for the Australian Government – as the vehicle safety standards regulator – to modify its regulation on door release systems,” ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg told carsales.

“The regulation should ensure emergency egress is simple and available for all side doors.  Technology has evolved and this is a regulatory loophole that should be closed by the Government.”

The safety body’s updated testing protocol – provided exclusively to carsales – will come into effect from January 2026 and will focus on assessing how easily an occupant can exit a vehicle fitted with power-operated doors, when 12V (low voltage) power has been disabled.

While current ANCAP protocols focus only on opening the doors from outside the vehicle and the operation of electric and retracting door handles, the upcoming 2026 protocol will ensure occupants have a way to escape in the event of power failure.

According to the incoming changes, ANCAP says vehicles must feature a manual override method to allow occupants to open the doors from inside the car without power. They must also open without the use of tools.

The functionality of the manual override method will also be assessed, with ANCAP stating there must be “an easy and obvious method of opening any side door from the interior after the low voltage battery supply has ceased”.

ANCAP says the test will occur with a static vehicle with the following procedure:

Acceptable methods include a mechanical handle (as per most conventional vehicles) or a door-opening button (as per vehicles like the Tesla Model 3/Y, Chevrolet Corvette, Maserati Grecale, etc).

However, those fitted with a button must also have a clear and visible secondary controller at the door, which is intuitive for the user (i.e. not hidden under an armrest).

This means several new cars already awarded the maximum five-star safety rating – including the new XPeng G6 and Zeekr X – would be penalised if tested against the stricter criteria set to come into effect next year.

Unacceptable methods include a cable loop hidden below the armrest (as per the XPeng G6 and Zeekr X).

Meanwhile, a clear and visible secondary controller at the door must be placed within 10cm from the normal door opening method.

Power-operated doors – made popular by Tesla and now featuring in more and more modern-day vehicles – have been plagued with controversy for years and are thought to have contributed to several deaths in the US, where vehicles with this style of door have crashed and occupants are thought to have been trapped inside.

Ms Hoorweg told carsales the increasing prevalence of electric door release systems in new vehicles means the new protocol will evaluate whether all side doors remain operable from the inside or provide a manual override.

“As a non-regulatory consumer information organisation, ANCAP encourages the fitment of key safety features and technologies through our voluntary and agile system,” she said.  “This is quite distinct from the Australian Design Rules which are regulatory requirements mandated, controlled and enforced by the Australian Government. 

“At ANCAP, the effort required to open a cars’ external doors immediately after each crash test has been assessed since crash testing began in 1993. This is done to consider how readily vehicle occupants can exit, and first-responders can access, the vehicle post-incident.

“With the increasing prevalence of electric door release systems in new vehicles, ANCAP is expanding its assessment of their safe operation through our test and rating criteria from January 2026. ANCAP will assess situations where the vehicles’ 12V battery is disconnected to evaluate whether all side doors remain operable from the inside or provide a manual override.”

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au