China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has presented a regulatory proposal that would require essential and frequently used functions —especially those related to security— have a direct access via physical buttons or switcheseliminating the exclusive dependence on screens and touch controls.
Among the functions indicated by the regulators are the indicators, hazard lights, gear selector and emergency call system. In addition, the draft establishes specific design requirements: buttons must have a minimum size of 10 × 10 millimeters and be located in a location that is clearly visible and easily accessible to the driver.
This initiative follows China’s recent decision to ban flush-fit door handles without mechanical actuation. Altogether, it represents a new step for curb certain design trends in the automotive industry that prioritize aesthetics and extreme digitalization, often to the detriment of ergonomics and safety.
If the measure is approved, manufacturers will have to rethink the design of the cabin to adapt to new requirements and reduce their dependence on screens in favor of physical controls. The hyper-digitized and minimalist interiors of brands such as BYD, Chery, Tesla or Xiaomi (among many others) could be forced to evolve towards more traditional solutions and functional. We already wrote about this matter not long ago…
date: 2026-02-15 01:18:00