The automotive world could not stop talking about a slick, futuristic yoke steering wheel. In 2021, a refresh of the Tesla Model S and Model X saw a radical, chopped-tiller design, which attracted both the attention of drivers and technology enthusiasts. The idea was not confined to the electric-vehicle pioneer and Lexus was the first car company to use a similar yoke in its US range, and a few Chinese manufacturers then did the same on the domestic market.
However, new news reports suggest that this trend will end soon due to the decision of the Chinese government. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reported an impending ban on yoke-style steering wheels next January first. This follows the publication of a draft of a new compulsory national standard by the ministry GB11557-202X, which is aimed at safeguarding drivers against injuries due to vehicle steering systems. The new code will supersede the existing standard, GB 11557 -2011, which has not been revised in more than ten years.
The impact tests on the regulation are much stricter than the tests that used to apply. Ten points of impact on the steering rim are now mandated by the MIIT officials, also including the midpoint of the weakest point and the midpoint of the shortest unsupported point. These considerations simply cannot be on a yoke-style wheel, and thus it is virtually impossible that the design can comply with the new safety requirements. Moreover, statistics published by Chinese authorities point to an alarming fact: 46 percent of injuries sustained by drivers are a direct consequence of the steering mechanism. Due to the fact that a yoke has a thinner cushion between the hands of the driver and the structural frame of the car, there are increased chances of severe injury in case of an accident as compared to an ordinary circular wheel.
The prohibition is placed next to other recent regulatory actions in China, such as the criminalization of concealed electric door handles following a series of accidents—another thing Tesla popularized. Combined, these actions indicate a larger initiative by the Chinese government to increase regulations of aspects that blur the line between high-tech novelty and effective risk.
In the meantime, no restrictions have been declared outside of China. In the United States and Canada, Tesla is still sold with a yoke steering wheel in the Model S and Model X, but the company is soon going to end production of these models. Lexus, also, still gives the yoke-equipped RZ, upgraded this time to drive-by-wire, which many regard as a breakthrough in automotive ergonomics.
The implication of the Chinese ruling is less that the Chinese have suddenly gone against innovation and more that the priorities around safety have been rebalanced. Regulators and governments around the globe will have to weigh the innovation of radical controls and interfaces with the more mundane, daily reality of road safety as car manufacturers keep playing around with unorthodox controls and interfaces. The impending yoke ban in China could become an eye-opener to other manufacturers who might want to take a risk in other markets.
