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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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Give me an option on steering Yoke or Wheel, but for me that is the first thing that gets ripped off and replaced if the yoke is the only option.
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I was pretty skeptical on yokes but rented a newer Tesla to try it (for a few days of national park touring), and really liked it. It stopped feeling “weird” after about a day of driving, and only was annoying on rare occasion in parking lots. I prefer it for the 99% of time I’m not in parking lots.
If you dislike the look, that’s one thing, but if you haven’t actually used one, it may be worth a shot before writing them off. They’re also really great for visibility which is a thing I didn’t expect but got accustomed to fast.
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Like anything else new in the marketplace, it will take some getting used to. I’m willing to give it a chance and adapt to it.
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The fact that a lot of Tesla folks are paying to swap out the yoke for a regular steering wheel doesn’t mean it isn’t safe, it’s just their preference.
I like it and am looking forward to it. It fits with the whole vibe of the car.
Emergency maneuvers should be no issue. You don’t go hand over hand in an emergency, you keep your hands on the wheel and make a sharp turn. Look at any driver doing the moose test, nobody is taking their hands off the wheel.
The only possible issue might be doing a three point turn or something similar in a parking lot. Pretty sure I’ll be able to get the hang of it pretty quick. If at first I go to grab a piece of steering wheel that’s not there I’ll just laugh, there’s no safety issue there.
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AOC just did a video on this.
I still think the best solution would be to make a simple optional bolt on piece to “finish” the yoke into a wheel – no need for 2 entirely separate versions of the entire steering system, electronics and airbag. To work well with a wheel perhaps the hud displays would need to be mounted on a rail so they could be separated to be clearly visible with a wheel. Personally I think the yoke is a great solution especially if we have a moderately tight steering ratio to minimize the need to reposition your grip except for low speed maneuvers – variable ratio would be cool but is already understood to not be in the vehicle and would be expensive R&D.
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Does anyone besides me find the current yoke design hideous? Like, deal-breaker level hideous? I would not be able to sit in the driver’s seat without seeing a really gross cartoon cat, with ears, eyes, and a huge smile. Do the designers think this is cute? I’m thinking about ways to modify it. Cover the eyes, obviously. Cut off the ears? The earlier design, with a full vertically-symmetrical squared oval, was acceptable.
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No
🤙
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Yeah, it’s the silliest thing! But, wadayado? Hopefully there’ll be an option for a traditional one like the original you mentioned.
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Since the “eyes” are functional, I doubt I’d cover them. YMMV
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Oh, I missed that. What are they?
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Volume and horn.
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Tesla has dropped the yoke as standard equipment and made it a $250 option on the Models S & X. Aptera, please take note.
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Yet another recent perspective on the yoke saga: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a45052803/tesla-steering-yoke-option-price/
For the record, I am content with Aptera’s decision on a modified yoke steering vs. traditional steering wheel. I’m not trying to beat a dead horse (dead yoke?)here or reignite a debate on the subject. Just adding what seems to me to be a reasonable toned, high-level (i.e. not a deep dive) musing on Tesla’s experience with a yoke “in the wild” and potential implications for the direction Aptera has taken. Interestingly enough, a survey question at the end of the article asked if “You think the yoke is a gimmick and will fizzle out?” or “It is an example of beneficial future thinking?” When I checked the results of the survey on September 9th, 94% were of the opinion the yoke was a gimmick and would fizzle out. But, hey, they aren’t lined up to buy an Aptera are they?
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Comparing to Tesla’s yoke history is pretty apples and oranges. My understanding is that Teslas are only recently using torque vectoring and only in the rear…where it is an advantage for their ‘sport mode’ tuning. Somewhat conversely, torque vectoring up front in the Aptera opens a completely different set of characteristics in terms of ability to tune desired steering response, handling and feel…especially considering the choice of a yoke. It takes time to make such systems feel right. There’s a fantastic opportunity for the final product in this regard. I’m certainly looking forward to see exactly how it’s implemented.
