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Wheel, Yoke, or Stick?
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Wheel, Yoke, or Stick?
updated 2 weeks, 4 days ago
64 Members
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94
Replies
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The yoke looks like it’s just squared off at the top, there is still something to grip. I suspect that it will be workable. Turning radius is more important in parking lots, I’m hoping for a tight radius but until someone drives the Gamma we won’t know.
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I was riding an Uber and saw the driver using a steering knob similar to this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodie_knob
I saw many discussions concerning making full turns at slow speed with Yoke. Maybe adding a steering knob on Yoke will help. What do you think?
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My grandfather used one of these knobs. In his time it was called a “Squirrel knob” or a “Suicide knob” and was not legal in some places. I agree with David, not necessary with the advent of power steering and using the heel of the had works fine.
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Lots of “aftermarket stuff “ out there “ for those that think they need it
I had sent that in , with modern example below, when I saw some where unsure about the yoke.
My handicap niece uses a spin knob on her steering wheel, which “allows her to drive”.
In mid 1950s my Dad had had to use one on his old Divco truck, which was extremely heavy, had a terrible turning radius and no power steering.
I hope 🤞to keep my Aptera “ lean and clean “ as it is a “ Lean Machine” \_(ツ)_/¯
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David/Jonah/Leonard, thank you for the comments. Just to clarify, I feel the advantage of a steering knob on yoke is to do full circle turns with one hand, as hand-over-hand maneuver was discussed as a limitation of the yoke missing half circle of grip. I have no experience with either Yoke or steering knob so it’s pure observations.
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I haven’t driven with a yoke, but my handling will not need any adjustment when I’ll get my Aptera with a yoke. I had been tought that kind of steering wheel handling during a several days long safety driving course (directed to rally racers and as well to folks who want to drive safely on unpredictably slippery roads).
Some time ago I was thinking about doing a video of me handling the steering wheel with taped off upper part in my car in order to simulate a yoke, but then i thought it would be a bit of a sterile demonstration and I forgot about it.
Now, these days I stumbled across a YT video showing nicely how a yoke equipped Tesla isn’t a problem at all in a hairpin turn. With the creator’s permission (YT-user: Cyber Owners) I extracted the relevant portion of his video. Hope this helps to understand.
0:16
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Another take on the subject from someone with experience.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgsBTvSje2g/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y
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Nope but I’m still planning on pulling off the yoke installing an aftermarket wheel and just wiring the button things to the dash.
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It’s much ado about nothing. I’m not concerned about having a squared off wheel. What I don’t want them to do is remove the stalks, I prefer having all the controls necessary to drive on the wheel so that you don’t have to reach for them. The shifter, signals, windshield washer should be on stalks.
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My thoughts on the yoke is this. Is it really necessary to reinvent the wheel? 99.9 percent of the cars on the road have a steering wheel that is a familiar round shape and have been for many years. My biggest concern is safety! The steering wheel is one of the most important controls in the vehicle. In an emergency situation this oddly shaped steering device could cause an accident because it’s an oddly shaped steering device. Is there really a compelling reason to reinvent the wheel??? Is this yoke really superior to roundish steering wheels that people all over the world use to control the very important function of steering their vehicle. NO in my opinion! All it’s gonna take is one accident where the driver blames the accident on this silly oddly shaped steering device and it could become a huge unnecessary black eye for Aptera.
Aptera may also be underestimating the possibility of more public brushback toward the yoke than they realize! They are taking an unnecessary chance that may not payoff, for what? I hope they reconsider this decision. You can offer it as an option in a few years after Aptera is successful.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Robert Keith Harrigan.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by
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Is there going to be an aftermarket version of the steering wheel. Im not sure how long I can take Hello Kitty
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Doubtful; if they’re still changing designs at this phase (which we’ll see in a week or so), I’ll probably be going out to purchase a different EV as this will never ship. The placement of the rear-view screens precludes a full circle wheel.
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Not excited for the yoke, but also not a deal breaker. Just really sad that the design of it looks so absolutely terrible. The rest of the Aptera looks so great.
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I don’t mind having the screen in front of the steering wheel. It resembles all other instrument clusters. The placement in the photograph however shows most of the screen being blocked by the steering wheel. One would have to hug the dash in order to get a full view of what being shown.
If the screen were mounted a bit higher it would alleviate the problem.
You’d have to be rather tall to see over the wheel in order to see the screen. Maybe it’s adjustable?
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I’d like to see a moose test video with the yoke, with a clear view of the driver’s hands. I am glad to see at least the lower loop.
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The yoke featured in the Gamma images is horrifying. It looks like a Pikachu character. You might as well paste a big Happy Face on the hood if you wanted to turn this car into a joke.
I don’t mind a yoke – I think it is viable and suits the vehicle as a whole. Unfortunately, the one you currently have looks like a big smiley face, including eyes. You folks really need to rethink this.
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Similar to some Well over $100k models… See Tesla.com and see any S or X model and choose white interior….Very close.
It doesn’t mean it works for some. I’d give it a chance. I sat behind the conventional wheel of the SOL, which had not screen above the steering column. Now there is an important screen there and the yoke seems opens that view. I hope to check out in Sep??? 🤞
We have not heard the lock to lock trying radius yet.Have you driven a specific model with a yoke with a known turn radius/lock to lock of that yoke? Issues?
THX
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Gamma interior, plus the few teasers of the exterior, is beautiful. The steering wheel is the right emoji for the experience.
In the immortal words of the unnamed engineer, “Ship It!”
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I agree Carl, the white smiley face yoke looks like it belongs on the clown car at the circus. It was not a serious choice in my opinion. I have seen others in the yoke thread that would work better functionally and aesthetically. We are not trying to turn people off to the Aptera are we?
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I’m good with the yoke, however when I saw the design Aptera has in the gamma, my immediate thought was I don’t like it. Is it just the smiley face that’s throwing us off? The increased field of view with a yoke will be advantageous.
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A (horrible looking) yoke is fine for automobiles that don’t need to make sharp turns, like on a highway or racetrack. However, for most vehicles on public roads, a wheel is far superior. First problem with the Aptera yoke is that you can only grasp it well (full wrap) from about 4 O’clock to about 8 O’clock, by one’s lap. The best place for your hands, most of the time, is 10 O’clock and 2 O’clock (where the Aptera yoke does not have a full-wrap grasp. Second, why the wheel instead of a yoke for 90 degree (typical) right and left hand turns? Because when making for instance a right-hand turn, most people will take their right hand and grab the wheel at around 11 or 12 O’clock to make the turn. Where am I supposed to hold onto a yoke when making sharp turns, theft side of the yoke where I don’t have full wrap? Third, in a panic situation, you want to be able to grab the wheel any way you can. If part of the wheel is missing (a yoke), you might be grabbing air. Check out UTube, there is at least one model S Plaid off the road because there was no wheel. Lastly, if the yoke was adopted to allow for better viewing of the 2 side rear-view screens, it would be better to have the screens off to the sides where mirrors have always been (but inside the vehicle). By looking to the sides to check your “mirrors” you are also seeing directly outside the vehicle as a second check of your relative position. Put a small screen in the upper viewport of the wheel with speed, state of charge and maybe a bar showing energy use and gain. At least make a wheel an option. Everyone reading this should take note of where your hands go when you make a 90 degree turn. I think you’ll find you want a wheel in your Aptera.
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Besides the smiling emoji, that makes me happy, I do not see a yoke. I have seen real yokes, and this is not one of ’em.
It looks more like an off center wheel with two unobtrusive nubs on it (@ 9 & 3, or 10 & 2 depending on how you squint). Really an eye of the boholder situation.
Since Gamma has to be pre production, as changes will delay production, it also feels like one is beating a dead horse over this?
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OK so we will definitely have a yoke. Probably because we have a better view of the non existing instruments above it.
Given that, how about a choice of yokes? It takes the same amount of energy to put each yoke on. But I suspect the steering columns comes to Aptera Motors with the yoke installed at the factory.
Will the air back be in the yoke?
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Well, I haven’t actually driven a yoke, but I did try an experiment to get an idea of what I’m in for with my (eventual) Aptera. I took some bright green painter’s tape and marked off the section of the steering wheel of my Prius and tried to drive the car for a week pretending that that section was missing. And yes, I realize that my faux yoke was the same as a real one, but close enough on a budget. Anyone else tried this?
Result: Good grief, what a damned nuisance. Lots of awkward arm crossing, pushing instead of pulling, reaching for something that wasn’t there (well,the rim was still there but using it would have been cheating), far too much having to think about the act of steering instead of just driving.
So, is it dangerous? Eh, probably not. I’m certain that someone will prang one grabbing at thin air in an emergency maneuver, but then folks find endless ways of crashing as it is. Time will tell, I guess.
Will I “get used to it”? Probably. Will I actually enjoy it? No. Absolutely no. I used to own a Scion XA with the cluster in the center of the dash instead of ahead of the driver. Always had to turn my head and look to the right to check my speed or any vehicle info. Sure, I got used to it. And hated every freaking minute of it (decent car otherwise). I fear the same with the Aptera.
Still, will wait to see/test the car for myself, even with the Rictus Plushie.
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Drove a yoke for several years while kart racing and piloting watercraft. If the turn ratio is tight enough, I will be fine; not sure you’ll like it though. I keep wondering if roof mounted side monitors wouldn’t have been a better idea. Anyway, the yoke is a design and engineering compromise, one of many made by Aptera and is obviously not for everyone. No need to convince or justify how you feel to anyone
What I see is not a totally new mode of transportation but a reprioritization of values during design. Most auto manufacturers stay close to the successful model used for a hundred years, Aptera seems to be willing to toss away settled decisions.
This first model MUST have successes and shortcomings because Aptera does not have an infinite amount of R/D time before going bust while willing to go a bit radical. Can you live with the known and unknown shifts in the paradigm?
My take – many folk want a limited set of what Aptera offers; however, the first “car” is sort of an all or nothing proof of concept. This company is based on a “let’s see if” model. Their first product is not for everyone and that’s okay! No snipping needed.
