China bans yoke steering wheels from January 1, 2027

After banning hidden door handles, China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) recently published a draft of revised mandatory automotive safety standards that look to put an end to yoke-style steering wheels.

The draft removes all technical content related to half-steering wheels (commonly referred to as the yoke steering wheel) as seen in some models sold by Tesla, Lexus as well as various Chinese car brands. The new rules, which are set to come into effect on January 1, 2027, will replace standards that have remained largely unchanged since 2011.

Chinese regulators cited crash safety as the reason for the revision, as the updated standards require steering wheels will need to undergo impact testing at 10 distinct points around the rim, including the top centre. A yoke steering wheel removes the upper section of the rim, effectively meaning it would automatically fail testing.

According to Autohome, the new standard aligns with international regulations by reducing the horizontal force limit in human module tests to 11,110N, matching UN R12 specifications. Strict thresholds for upward and backward displacement of the steering column during collisions are also established in the draft.

Additionally, the new standard eliminates any exemptions for human impact testing that were previously allowed under certain conditions. All vehicle models are now required to pass this verification test, regardless of circumstances.

As with regulations related to door handles, all new vehicle models seeking type approval must have steering wheels that comply with the updated regulations starting 2027. Existing approved models will be provided with a transition period of approximately 13 months to revise their designs.