China to ban yoke-style steering wheels in cars after outlawing hidden door handles on safety grounds

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Safety regulators in China intend to ban yoke-style steering wheels in cars from next year over concerns they inflict greater injury on drivers in crashes.

Having recently announced it will outlaw concealed door handles on new vehicles from 2027, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) also plans to prohibit aircraft-style, half-sized steering wheels being developed by a number of major car firms.

A draft for approval has been submitted by the Chinese regulator to ban rectangular-shaped steering wheels that, if rubberstamped, will be effective from 1 January next year.

Yoke steering wheels are already available in some Chinese-made models and were also an optional feature in Teslas for a brief period. 

Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot will this year debut their own yoke-style wheel designs to appeal to younger customers who enjoy gaming.

China's Autohome - which uncovered the draft for approval document - said the ban on 'irregularly shaped steering devices' aims to 'protect drivers from being injured'. 

Safety regulators in China intend to ban yoke-style steering wheels in cars from next year over concerns they inflict greater injury on drivers in crashes

A yoke steering wheel is a non-circular steering control, often resembling a joystick or aircraft control wheel, with a U or T-shaped design.

Readers of a particular vintage will be reminded of the popular 1980s hit series Knight Rider featuring David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight with his talking car, KITT, which had a similarly minimal steering wheel design.

F1 steering wheels are also a similar shape.

With yokes set to become increasingly available in new models, the MIIT's draft approval calls for thorough testing of steering wheels over the risk newfangled designs present to motorists, especially in front-end collisions.

If given the green light, it will become part of China's vehicle safety overhaul from 2027, which also includes a ban on sales of models with hidden 'pop-out' door handles following reports of occupants being trapped inside crashed vehicles. 

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Under the revised safety guidelines, new cars sold in China will need to pass 10 impact stress tests at ten specific points of the steering wheel to measure the level of protection and potential for the rim to fracture.

Tests will be conducted on the 'midpoint of the weakest area' and 'midpoint of the shortest unsupported area' - sections which ultimately do not exist on a yoke-style steering wheel.

According to official Chinese road casualty figures, more than four in five (46 per cent) of driver injuries originate from the steering mechanism itself.

The draft regulation also cites a separate study stating that 'traditional circular steering wheels provide a large area of ​​cushioning when the driver leans forward, while the open structure of a half-spoke steering wheel makes it very easy for a person to bypass the steering wheel and directly impact the steering column or dashboard in a secondary collision, drastically increasing the risk [of injury]'.

The new safety regulation also has rules specific to airbags.

German car giant Mercedes has announced its upcoming electric car will come with this 'yoke' steering wheel, which is linked to an electronic steer-by-wire system

Peugeot's Hypersquare is a rectangular, futuristic, and customisable steering wheel. It looks a bit like a video game controller, and plays into that sci-fi look and feel

It prohibits any hard projectiles - including metal or plastic components - from facing an occupant during airbag deployment. 

This comes after the high-profile Takata airbag scandal, which has seen over 100 million cars recalled globally after it emerged that activated airbags were firing metal shrapnel into the bodies of occupants.

Over 35 deaths worldwide have been linked to the faulty airbags, with over 400 injuries reported in the US alone.

It has seen a number of car makers announce 'stop-drive' recalls on older models still equipped with Takata airbags, leaving owners without use of their vehicles for weeks and even months. 

Once approved, the new steering wheel regulations will come into force from 1 January 2027 for new models. 

New cars already in showrooms will be granted a grace period to have their yoke-style wheels removed. This is typically up to 13 months.

Chinese giant MG offers yoke steering wheels for some of its cars - including the electric Cyberster roadster - in some markets, though not the UK. Some models from its luxury spin off brand, IM, are also available with the futuristic spaceship-style controls.

But they're not the first to experiment with the unusual steering wheel design. 

IM Motors, the luxury spin-off of Chinese car giant MG, offers yoke-style steering wheels in some of its models sold in markets outside the UK

Tesla in 2021 controversially started selling Model S and Model X EVs with its yoke steering controls. However, because it is linked to a mechanical steering system, it's very difficult to conduct slow-speed manoeuvres - such as three-point turns - due to the lack of a wheel rim

Tesla - infamously - was the first to offer yoke wheels in its - now discontinued - Model S and Model X cars from 2021. 

The Tesla yoke received widespread criticism for a combination of practical usability issues (including it being impossible to perform a three-point turn) and limited customer demand.

Despite this, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot - the latter using a rectangular 'Hypersquare' design - will debut their own versions this year.

However, each manufacturer believes their systems won't succumb to the same fate as their US rival.

That's because engineers have combined their chopped-down wheels with new electronic 'steer-by-wire' setups that adjust the amount of steering input needed depending on the car's speed.

That said, concerns have previously been raised with steer-by-wire systems, especially if there are electrical gremlins that trigger it to stop operating as it should - potentially leaving drivers out of control.

Lexus is debuting its 'Lexus Driving Signature' yoke wheel in the new £50,000 RZ electric SUV this year

Lexus says: 'The wheel’s compact dimensions have allowed for the driver’s cockpit to be opened up, with a clearer, uninterrupted view of the road ahead and more space between the wheel and their legs'

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Mercedes says it has combated this with its own fail safes.

Its steer-by-wire setup 'relies on a redundant system architecture in addition to high-precision sensors and high-performance control units,' it explained.

'This means that there are basically two signal paths and thus twice the number of actuators required, as well as a redundant on-board data and power supply. This always ensures steering ability.

'Even in the most unlikely event of a complete failure, lateral guidance is still possible thanks to rear-axle steering and targeted wheel-specific braking interventions via ESP [Electronic Stability Program].'

Mercedes-Benz will make its controversial cut-down version available for its heavily updated EQS EV limo, which is due to arrive in the coming months. 

Lexus is debuting its 'Lexus Driving Signature' yoke wheel in the new £50,000 RZ electric SUV this year.

It says: 'The wheel’s compact dimensions have allowed for the driver’s cockpit to be opened up, with a clearer, uninterrupted view of the road ahead and more space between the wheel and their legs.'

Peugeot promises to debut its Hypersquare in a production car soon also.

For now, there’s no indication from the UK government that yoke steering wheels - or pop-up door handles - will be banned from roads. 

Daily Mail and This is Money has contacted the Department for Transport about the matter but has been refused response.

Chinese safety regulators earlier this month announced a ban on new cars using concealed door handles, like those popularised by Tesla

China the first to ban hidden door handles 

China next year will be the first to prohibit the sale of new cars with concealed electronic door handles, which sit flush against the side of the door when the vehicle is locked or being driven.

Popularised by Tesla, which uses a press-to-release hidden handle for its Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, other brands have used similar designs too.

Jaguar Land Rover, Renault and a host of Chinese manufacturers too use electrically-powered handles that pop out.

This is because they not only improve the aesthetic of vehicles but marginally reduce their drag and therefore improve efficiency.

But China will require all cars sold in the country have a mechanical release feature for both interior and exterior door handles.

There also has to be enough space for a hand to operate its mechanical release from any angle.

Motorists frequently complain that they freeze shut during winter and won't open. But more concerning is that they've been found to lose operation when involved in a crash, making it difficult for emergency services to reach passengers inside stricken vehicles. 

In a statement released Monday 2 February, the MIIT cited 'the inconvenience with operating the exterior door handles and their inability to open after an accident'.

Other countries are looking at introducing similar safety legislation after a number of tragic accidents saw people unable to be rescued from cars due to problems unlocking door handles.

Tesla's door handles are already under investigation in the US by safety regulators. Authorities in Europe are considering their own rules.