Cars ditch giant touchscreens as China and Europe push physical controls
Mar 1st 2026
New regulations in China, upcoming Euro NCAP safety changes and manufacturer pushback are driving a clear industry shift away from giant center touchscreens and back to physical buttons for key car functions.
- China’s Industry and Information Technology ministry has proposed rules that would require physical, blind-operable controls for essential car functions to reduce driver distraction.
- Euro NCAP will start counting usability toward safety ratings from January 2026, penalizing vehicles that rely only on touchscreens for functions like indicators and wipers.
- ADAC operability tests show user control scores have worsened in recent years, highlighting growing usability problems with touchscreen-heavy interiors.
- Automakers including Volkswagen, Mercedes and Hyundai have begun reintroducing physical knobs and switches for climate and audio controls after customer and internal testing feedback.
- High-end designs are also shifting: Ferrari’s new Luce interior by Jony Ive and Mark Newson limits screen size and emphasizes physical controls.
- Tesla and other minimalist touchscreen-first interiors could need redesigns to comply with emerging Chinese and European rules.