What changed
Chinese carmakers are putting buttons and knobs back into new vehicles. Chery’s Omoda X uses physical switches for air conditioning and seat ventilation; BYD added buttons for volume and climate control in its latest Tang SUV; and Geely increased the dials in its Galaxy TT sedan.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has proposed rules that would require safety-related functions, such as headlights and gear changes, to remain physical from July 2027. A standard introduced on October 20 would also prohibit text on external vehicle lights.
Why it matters
The touchscreen-first car is being asked to make room for muscle memory. Drivers could adjust common features without hunting through menus, which is the practical safety argument behind the shift.
The change also shows Beijing tightening the boundaries around car design. Screens that fail or distract drivers are now part of the regulatory conversation, alongside more theatrical features such as rear lights that display messages. That could affect IM Motors’ text-displaying rear bumper feature, though it is still unclear how widely the new rules will apply to existing designs.
The proposed standards may not take effect unchanged. But the direction is clear: Chinese manufacturers are treating fewer screens and more physical controls as a selling point, while regulators decide which digital flourishes belong on the road. Mercedes-Benz is moving in a similar direction in Europe, with its chief executive saying the industry may have pushed digital controls too far.
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