Flush door handle assembly

A door handle assembly for a vehicle door having an outer door panel, said door handle assembly comprising:

• a cover element movable between a flush position where the cover element fills an opening defined by the outer door panel and is substantially flush with a visible face of the outer door panel, and a retracted position where the cover element is displaced inwardly from the opening, wherein a grip element and the outer door panel define a finger access space adapted to receive fingers of a user;
• an actuator configured to move the cover element between the flush position and the retracted position;
• a hand sensor attached to the grip element, the hand sensor configured to detect fingers of the user within the finger access space;
• a detection device configured to remotely cooperate with a complementary transmitting device carried by the user to identify the user;
• a latching mechanism configured to unlatch the vehicle door when fingers are detected by the hand sensor;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the hand sensor, the detection device, the latching mechanism, and the actuator,
• wherein the control unit commands the actuator to displace the cover element from the flush position to the retracted position when the user is identified by the detection device.