- China introduces new safety standards that ban yoke-style steering wheels.
- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) considers it unsafe.
- The ban will take effect on January 1, 2027.
The yoke-style steering wheel was the latest thing just a few years ago. Tesla pioneered the idea, with its dramatic chopped tiller debuting in 2021 in the redesigned Model S and Model X. Since then, we’ve seen automakers like Lexus in the US follow suit.
In China, a handful of automakers also followed in Tesla’s footsteps and introduced their own yoke steering wheels across the region. But now the Chinese government is reportedly cracking down on what it considers an unsafe property.
As first reported by China AutohomeChina’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) plans to ban yoke steering from January 1, 2027. It recently published an approval of a draft of the mandatory national standard GB 11557-202X, which sets out: “The provision protecting drivers from injuries caused by the steering mechanism of motor vehicles.”
The new safety regulations would replace the current Chinese safety standard (GB 11557-2011), which has not been changed for more than a decade. This also coincides with China’s recent ban on hidden electric door handles after multiple incidents (another technology largely popularized by Tesla).
Under these new guidelines, Chinese safety officials would require impact tests at ten specific points on the steering wheel rim. This includes several points – such as the ‘midpoint of weakest area’ and the ‘midpoint of shortest unsupported area’ – that simply do not exist on a yoke-style steering wheel.
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
According to data released by Chinese officials, 46 percent of driver injuries are caused by the steering mechanism itself. The yoke wheel provides less buffer zone than a traditional wheel, increasing the risk of serious injury during a crash.
For now, there’s no indication from U.S. officials that steering wheels — or even power-folding door handles — will be banned from the road. Currently, Tesla still offers a yoke steering wheel in the soon-to-be-discontinued Model S and Model X, while the electric Lexus RZ also offers a yoke steering wheel with a new drive-by-wire system.
Taking Motor1s: Sure, yoke-style steering wheels look cool, but functionality and safety concerns probably won’t keep them on the market for long (at least, outside the US). China will be the first to ban these types of wheels, but we wouldn’t be surprised if other regions do the same.
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