China Is Working On Legistation To Mandate Buttons In Cars
Days after announcing a ban on the most frustrating features outside of your vehicle, the government of China is making big changes inside as well. New laws are set to come into effect this summer that would demand automakers install real physical buttons for some key vehicle features. Putting a stop to the creep of touchscreens to control things you need to access on a regular basis.
We’ve Been Calling For This For Years
A new report from Car News China says that the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is planning the new laws. The revisions have been in progress since 2023, and have involved some of the country’s biggest automakers and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center.
China Wants To Make EV Battery Fires A Thing Of The Past
Like leaded gasoline or carburetors.
It addresses a requirement for physical controls for four key areas. Lightning, which includes turn signals, flashers, and the horn, gear shifting, master control of driver assistance, and safety/emergency. To be more specific, the last group includes windshield wipers, the defroster, and defogger, power windows, a power-off switch for EVs, and emergency call features in the event of an accident.
Physical controls for power windows are still relatively common, but lighting and climate functions have increasingly shifted to haptic or touchscreen operation. The proposed rules would also require dimensions, position, and other characteristics of the controls. No cheating with tiny buttons hidden under the dash, and basic functions must still work with the power off after a crash.
Currently, automakers in China are on track to get rid of buttons completely. Screens everywhere, large and small, are taking over functions with virtual buttons and voice controls. Even automakers aren’t a fan of the trend, and it became enough of an issue for the government to intervene in the name of safety. Draft rules should be ready soon. If approved, they would go into effect starting with new vehicles made after July 1, 2027.
EU, Australia Also On Board Against Digital Controls
China is joining the European Union on this one. The Euro New Car Assessment Program, a private crash safety group similar to the IIHS in the US, is cracking down. It said last year that beginning in 2026 it would start deducting safety points for vehicles that lacked separate physical controls for basic functions that could be operated without looking away from the road. While not an outright government ban, poor safety ratings generally aren’t good for vehicle sales.
Precious few buttons are required in the US. Automakers here use buttons for defog and defrost as well as hazard flashers, among others. Tesla has pushed limits here the furthest in the US, removing turn signal stalks. As for moving a Tesla, in lieu of a shifter stalk, dials, or buttons, there is a system that guesses which way you want to go. If the guess is wrong, there are digital overrides on the touchscreen.
Common Sense Safety Beyond Buttons
At the end of 2025, the Chinese government announced an end to electric retractable door handles inside and outside of vehicles. Handles that go flush when not in use, along with push buttons that activate poppers on the inside have been deemed a safety hazard. They won’t function in crashes and other situations where power is cut. More recently, the country announced a ban on yoke steering systems, citing additional safety concerns both in control and airbag deployment. Cars must have full steering wheels starting in 2027.
A Beginner’s Guide To Car Cabin Anatomy
If you’re just starting out and need a quick reference guide on what goes where inside a car, we’ve got your back.
As for door handles, automakers will need to install mechanical emergency openers. The pulls will need to meet standards for position and marking to make sure they aren’t hidden. Similar legislation has been proposed in the US, with hidden handles blamed for multiple collision deaths.
Source: Car News China
link
