Many believed that yoke-type steering wheels were the future of electric vehicles. Tesla is not the only company to adopt this design; numerous manufacturers globally have embraced this trend. However, Chinese safety experts have determined that these configurations pose significant safety risks on the road. A new regulation is set to eliminate these modern wheels from the world's largest automotive market.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has introduced a comprehensive set of rules known as GB 11557-202X. This legislation aims to protect drivers from injuries caused by steering wheels during collisions. The new regulations, effective January 1, 2027, implement a crucial change: the removal of special provisions that allowed yoke steering wheels to exist. Consequently, it will become nearly impossible for automotive companies to market yoke-equipped vehicles in China.
The current safety regulations have been in place since 2011. Over the years, electric vehicles have undergone significant transformations, leading to much stricter new guidelines. For instance, the maximum force allowed during crash tests has been reduced to 11,110 Newtons, aligning with international safety standards. Additionally, all car models must now pass a 'human impact' test; previously, some models could be exempt from this requirement, but exceptions are now abolished.
A key challenge for yoke steering wheels is their testing protocol. To pass safety evaluations, a steering wheel must be subjected to strikes at ten specified locations to assess how it bends and fractures. Some of these impact points are located at the top of the wheel. For yokes, like those found in Tesla and Lexus vehicles, those upper sections are non-existent, resulting in an automatic failure before testing begins.
Safety statistics reveal the underlying concerns, as approximately 46% of driver injuries in accidents are attributed to the steering mechanism. A traditional round wheel acts as a substantial cushion if a driver is propelled forward during a crash. In contrast, the design of a yoke contains a significant void at the top, allowing the driver’s body to slide past the wheel, leading to potentially severe injuries by colliding with the dashboard or windshield.
Airbags present another major issue. When an airbag deploys from the center of a steering wheel, it occurs in an instant. The new regulations stipulate that no hard components, such as metal or plastic, can be propelled towards the driver upon deployment. Due to the unconventional shapes and various supports of yoke steering wheels, their failure modes are difficult to predict, prompting Chinese safety experts to find it challenging to demonstrate that a yoke won't scatter debris during an accident.
Once the new regulations take effect in 2027, all new car models will be required to comply. Automakers like IM Motors and Jiyue, which currently offer vehicles with yoke steering wheels, will likely have around 13 months to redesign their models. It appears that the steering wheel of the future will resemble the steering wheel of the past: a simple, safe circle.
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