ZF Releases New Steering wheel design with relocated airbag

TapTechNews June 10th news, for decades, the center of the car steering wheel has been occupied by airbags. However, the automotive parts supplier ZF from Germany has recently released a new design that relocates the airbag to the top of the steering wheel, bringing more possibilities to the steering wheel design.

TapTechNews noted that this novel steering wheel and airbag were developed by Lifetec, a passive safety systems division of ZF. In the event of a crash, the airbag will pop out from the top of the steering wheel and extend down to the upper edge of the steering wheel to protect the driver's safety. ZF said that this new design can not only ensure safety but also provide greater freedom for the styling design of the central area of the steering wheel.

Lifetec showcased the first steering wheel with a brand new airbag design, and its central part adopts a one-piece bright black panel with a simple and smooth design. The horn button is still retained in the center position, in line with the driver's usage habits. In the future, automakers can further expand this concept, such as embedding inductive control devices in the steering wheel or even placing a display screen in the position where the airbag used to be.

At present, ZF has not disclosed whether its new airbag design has been put into production nor announced when the new car equipped with the top-popping airbag will be launched. However, this innovation will undoubtedly excite automotive interior designers who are eager to get rid of the bulky steering wheel.