China Moves to Ban Yoke Steering Wheels After Cracking Down on Flush Door Handles

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Previously, China announced a ban on flush-style door handles popularized by Tesla electric vehicles. Now, a report from Autohome says regulators are essentially telling automakers, “Don’t reinvent the wheel,” as the country also moves to ban yoke-style steering wheels – another design feature made famous by Tesla.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published a draft outlining a new standard aimed at preventing injuries caused by steering mechanisms. The proposal introduces updated test procedures requiring impact testing at multiple specific points along the steering wheel rim – points that yoke-style or half-wheel designs do not have.

The Safety Case

The draft standard also states that yoke-style steering wheels may allow a driver’s body to move past the rim and toward the dashboard in a crash. It further notes that airbags in such designs may deploy less predictably compared to those integrated into traditional circular steering wheels, which also provide a larger surface area for cushioning when the driver moves forward. According to the report, 46 percent of driver injuries are linked to steering mechanisms.

Among the earliest mainstream production models to adopt a yoke-style steering wheel were the now-discontinued Tesla Model S and Model X, which later offered it as a $1,000 option. The design is even more central to the Cybertruck, which features a steer-by-wire system that reduces the need for multiple full turns – making a traditional circular steering wheel less necessary. The Lexus RZ also offers a yoke in certain markets, though that configuration is not available in the U.S.

The Regulatory Domino

Unlike the ban on flush-style door handles, a prohibition on yoke-style steering wheels may not be as widely felt, given that the design remains relatively niche. The configuration already faces several hurdles, with many automakers hesitant to adopt it. However, because China is the world’s largest car market, a ban on yoke-style steering wheels could still influence manufacturers that are considering the design for future models.

The new standard will officially take effect on January 1, 2027, the same date as the new rules governing flush-style door handles. Regulators will also provide a 13-month transition period for vehicles with a half-wheel design that have already been approved and are currently on sale.

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