by Stephen Rivers
- Video shows three passengers rescued from a burning electric sedan.
- Dongfeng says the crash involved a high-speed collision with a truck.
- Incident highlights just how important functional doors are in any crash.
The last year has been full of stories surrounding dangerous door handle design. Now, China is banning retractable handles, beginning with electric vehicles. A newly uncovered video highlights why. After a collision with a truck, one Dongfeng eπ007 turns into a full conflagration in less than a minute.
While the video went viral today, Dongfeng itself confirmed that the crash actually occurred in Wenshan, Yunnan province, on March 19, 2025.
In it, we see the Chinese electric sedan, which, notably, serves as the base for Nissan’s popular N7, spins and slides off the road before it hits some construction fencing. Nothing about the crash looks particularly devastating, but apparently, somewhere along the line, the battery ends up punctured.
Why Seconds Count
The driver pops out of the car immediately, but can’t open the rear door. The handles won’t extend out of the body of the door itself. Then, his door also shuts and no longer responds to similar attempts to open it. 29 seconds after the initial impact, smoke is billowing from the passenger side of the car, and all of the doors are shut.
More: China Officially Bans Pop-Out Door Handles, And The World May Follow
The driver begins trying to break the window with his elbow. Another individual runs up, and the pair uses rocks to break the side windows. Then, the real work begins as they pull two occupants from the car rather quickly. 52 seconds after the initial crash, flames are clearly visible on the outside of the car, and the cabin is completely filled with black smoke.
A Race Against Time and Fire
Despite the flames, the individual who popped up out of nowhere to help managed to pull the final passenger out of the fully on-fire car. The occupants all have remnants of the fire visible on their clothing and faces.
Read: Dongfeng eπ 007 EV Offers Lambo Doors And Up To 536 hp From Just $22,400
The rescuer later said all three passengers suffered burns, with the injuries described as serious but not life-threatening. He himself sustained severe burns to his hands, saying five fingers were still bandaged months later and that the injuries may prevent him from returning to work as a truck driver.
Company Responds
On February 5, Dongfeng’s eπ brand issued a statement confirming the crash occurred in March 2025 and expressing sympathy to all those involved. The company said its team went to the scene at the time and cooperated with authorities.
Read: Electric Door Handles Face Global Scrutiny After Deadly EV Crashes
According to Dongfeng, the fire was triggered after a high-speed collision with a truck. The automaker also warned that circulating clips may not reflect the full context of the crash and could cause further distress to those involved.
It’s also worth noting that, while some reports from China claimed a front-seat passenger died in the fire, this has not been confirmed.
If it wasn’t clear before why accessible, fully operable manual door handles are important, this incident should clear it up.
