China Is Banning The ‘Yoke’ Steering Wheel

• China is introducing new safety standards banning the yoke-style steering wheel.
• The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) deems it unsafe.
• The ban goes into effect January 1, 2027.

The yoke-style steering wheel was the hot new thing just a few years ago. Tesla pioneered the idea, with its dramatic chopped tiller debuting in the refreshed Model S and Model X in 2021. Since then, we’ve seen automakers like Lexus follow suit in the US.

In China, a handful of automakers also followed in Tesla’s footsteps, introducing their own yoke steering wheels throughout the region. Now, though, the Chinese government is reportedly cracking down on what it deems an unsafe feature.

Lexus RZ Yoke Steering Wheel

As first reported by China’s Autohome, the China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) plans to ban the yoke steering wheel beginning on January 1, 2027. It recently published an approval of a draft of the mandatory national standard GB 11557-202X, which outlines “The stipulation protecting drivers from being injured by motor vehicle steering mechanism.”

The new safety regulations would replace China’s current safety standard (GB 11557-2011), which hasn’t changed in over a decade. This also coincides wth China’s recent banning of hidden electric door handles following multiple incidents (another technology largely popularized by Tesla).

Under these new guidelines, Chinese safety officials would require impact testing at ten specific points on the steering wheel rim. That includes multiple points—such as the “midpoint of the weakest area” and the “midpoint of the shortest unsupported area”—that simply don’t exist on a yoke-style steering wheel.

Mercedes-Benz Yoke Steering Wheel Concept

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

According to data released by Chinese officials, 46 percent of driver injuries originate from the steering mechanism itself. The yoke-style wheel provides less of a buffer zone than a traditional wheel, increasing the risk of serious injury during a crash.

For now, there’s no indication from US officials that yoke steering wheels—or even electric pop-up door handles—will be banned from roads. 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.

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Motor1’s Take: 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 of the US). China will be the first to ban these types of wheels, but we wouldn’t be shocked to see other regions do the same.

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