Yoke vs. steering wheel

[SwampNut]

but many people (not all) are used to the habit of the 12 o'clock position, or 11 or 1.

So? People were used to a lot of old shit in cars, and they had to change. People were used to riding horses.

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[alan auerbach]

One question: Will I be able to mount a Gangster Knob (aka: Suicide Knob) on a Yoke steering wheel? I had one on my 79 Bus and currently have one on my Tacoma Truck. No way my wife would let me put one on her Tesla!

The purpose of a steering knob is to overcome a slow-rotating wheel. But I expect the CT yoke will be fast (and variable, so you have good control at speed, and minimal rotation while parking). So the answer is yes, you can mount a knob anywhere, and no, since it would serve no purpose on a properly-designed yoke.

Putting it another way, if a steering wheel makes, say, three full rotations from left-lock to right-lock, that's slow, and a knob would facilitate parking. But I'm sure the CT's yoke aimed straight ahead would rotate maybe 180 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. That's only one rotation from lock to lock. With steering that fast, a knob would just get in the way.

 

[Art O'Connor]

Stalks & buttons. A previous poster noticed there are none on the CT prototypes. I agree with several other posters: for safety and convenience, stalks and yoke buttons are a necessity. On my Chevy Silverado, I can set and manipulate the cruise control, answer the phone, control the volume and change stations without taking my hands off the wheel or my eyes off the road. Turn signals, high beams and wiper controls are on a stalk by my left hand. Surely Elon does not think accessing all this from a touch screen in center of the dash is, in any way, convenient or safe?

 

[Frank Mendez]

I personally know of one person who had their thumbs dislocated. I took a safe driving class and the instructor had lots of data proving air bags can jamb thumbs. I like my thumbs; so no more 2 and 10! (How did I get 6 and 9? Brain fart ...)

I ran into my high school teacher who was by this time an elderly gentleman. I saw him at a hospital. He was complaining that he had been injured by an air bag and was several years into trying to gain his motion back and to have his pain reduced. Air bags are a hazard when hands are in the wrong spot. The yoke should help reduce this problem.

 

[Bill906]

Turn signals, high beams and wiper controls are on a stalk by my left hand. Surely Elon does not think accessing all this from a touch screen in center of the dash is, in any way, convenient or safe?

Turn signals, high beams, wiper controls, and horn are all buttons ON THE YOKE. Not on the center screen.

 

[Art O'Connor]

I sure hope you are right! But, the most recent post of the interior I saw had a rectangular steering device, not a yoke, with no buttons. We have the first Giga Factory (batteries) here in Reno. I have seen a Cybertruck leaving the Tesla showroom near my home once. I did not get to photograph or enjoy any more than a brief glace of the exterior going the opposite direction. It was about 9 months ago; so probably the first prototype. So many changes since then. Still, very much, a moving target.

 

[Art O'Connor]

Ah ... Modern vehicles! Buttons on the steering wheel are now common. You want to flip the high beams on my '62 Vette? Button on the floor! By 1967 (my Porsche 912) the high beam was on the stalk. My 2010 Silverado (hope it lasts until CT shows up) is also on the stalk. But I do not think I will have any problems getting used to a button on the yoke/wheel/rectangle. Just give me my CT ASAP! Hear that Elon?

 

[alan auerbach]

Plenty of strong opinions on the yoke. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it but I really really really want my stalks! Perhaps it’s showing my age, but I like physical controls.

Don't blame your age, blame Tesla's failure to respect the principle that vehicles should provide a reasonable measure of intuitiveness.

Example: "My eyes are getting wonky -- would you drive?"

[Ten minutes later] "I'd be glad to but I've never driven a Tesla and I can't figure how to make it go."

 

[CyberGus]

Don't blame your age, blame Tesla's failure to respect the principle that vehicles should provide a reasonable measure of intuitiveness.

Example: "My eyes are getting wonky -- would you drive?"

[Ten minutes later] "I'd be glad to but I've never driven a Tesla and I can't figure how to make it go."

It's a generational thing, tho. Ask someone under 30 if they know how to type, and most will proudly show you their thumbs. Touchscreens are the norm.

Certainly the left stalk (turn signal) is standard, but it's been a long time since I've used a vehicle that used a stalk to engage the transmission.

 

[Roy2001]

I drove an X with the yoke, and it took me a couple minutes to be comfortable with it. But I don't know how I'd adapt in the long term. The owner is in his mid 80s and said it took him "a month" to get used to it. Overall I didn't find a penalty to it in a 20 minute drive.

Same here, a few minutes later I started to like it. It won't block the front screen and won't touch my legs.

 

[HaulingAss]

I never thought of the extra leg/knee room reason. I like that too. But the dash visibility is what I'm excited about. I also have to compromise between comfort and dash visibility. I remember as a kid (16-17ish) mom's car (pre airbag) tilt steering wheel would let the wheel tilt VERY low. I loved it. The top loop would be below my view of the instrument cluster.

I fully understand why current vehicles (with airbags) no longer let it tilt that low. But I still miss that ability.

The Model 3 still allows the driver to tilt the wheel VERY low. Mine would go even lower if my legs weren't stopping it. This really prevents my shoulder muscles from getting sore on long drives. I have the wheel tilt up automatically for easy entry/exit so my legs don't get jammed.

 

[Bill906]

I recently rented a Model 3. Loved it. And yes, it did tilt pretty low for a car of this age. But there were a few cars in the pre-airbag era that would go really low. Lower than you’d want an airbag loaded wheel to go.

 

[Rutrow]

Nobody can get used to activating horn and turn signals with their thumbs...

Every motorcycle rider ever... ""

 

[Stuck4ger]

The CT will have flush capacitance buttons on the steering whoke (yes I just made up that term). I want a yoke, not some compromise square thing that offers the worst of both. I have been practicing driving as if I have a yoke and it’s not a big deal, the main thing is reaching across to the opposite side prior to a hard turn and not letting the wheel spin through my hands coming out of turns.

 

[scottf200]

1. Round wheel only
2. Yoke only if progressive rate / steer by wire gets it to be ≤ ~0.8 turns lock to lock, or
3. Give me the yoke no matter what

I'm mostly in camp 1, but would keep an open mind until I actually drove option 2. You couldn't convince me to join camp 3 with all the bribery money handed out by lobbyists in DC.

Is the Lexus (in video below) close to your #2 above?

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