After announcing a ban on electric and retractable door handles, China is establishing additional safety regulations for vehicles sold in the country.
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The latest regulations are Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Lexus RZThe target is the yoke type steering wheel that has become popular in vehicles such as . The Chinese government considers this type of steering wheel to be “unsafe.”
chinese media AutohomeAccording to , China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) plans to ban yoke-style steering wheels from January 1, 2027.
Authorities recently drafted mandatory national standards GB 11557-202Xannounced its approval, which contains “regulations to prevent driver injuries caused by automobile steering systems.”
The new safety regulations build on existing Chinese standards that have not changed in over a decade (GB 11557-2011) will be replaced. According to new guidelines, Chinese safety authorities will require crash tests at 10 specific points on the steering wheel rim.
This includes several points such as “midpoint of weakest area” and “midpoint of shortest unsupported area”, which do not exist in yoke style steering wheels.
According to data released by Chinese authorities, 46% of driver injuries occur in the steering system itself. Yoke-style steering wheels have a smaller airbag protection area than traditional round steering wheels, increasing the risk of serious injury in the event of an accident.
As with any regulatory change like this, Chinese brands will have a period of 13 months to adapt their models to the new regulations, provided there are no further changes before the expected implementation date of January 2027.
Photo: Tesla / Lexus. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
