Cybertruck’s Yoke-Style Steering Wheel Revealed by Way of Model S and X Updated Interiors?!

[TheLastStarfighter]

I am open minded to this.
I usually hold the steering wheel at 9 and 3 anyway. Or in cruising near the bottom.
Guess D/N/R , that a bit more crazy I think. Cant see how that works.
If I am in car park and I decide I want to go in reverse instead of forward, how's it gona know.
NOw if it had a btn for D/R/P on the wheel, maybe.

The buttons for D/R/P are on the center console.

If you turn on your car and there's nothing in front of you, it's going to guess you want to go forward. I expect it will be right 99% of the time. If there is a wall in front of you, it will guess reverse. I also expect this to be right 99% of the time. If not, you press the button. But you will probably only have to press that button 1% of the time.

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[TheLastStarfighter]

I would (almost) bet the car will get delivered with a round wheel. In any vehicle where you routinely turn more than half a round of the wheel it’s much safer with a round wheel than a yoke. Not to mention in off-road situations. To use a yoke they would also have to change typical steering wheel behavior and gear ratio depending on speed (much more than what is common today), which is possible, but will take some getting used to. Formula 1 cars do *not* use a yoke, it’s only flattened on one end.

Flat on top = twice as good.

 

[Sirfun]

The buttons for D/R/P are on the center console.

If you turn on your car and there's nothing in front of you, it's going to guess you want to go forward. I expect it will be right 99% of the time. If there is a wall in front of you, it will guess reverse. I also expect this to be right 99% of the time. If not, you press the button. But you will probably only have to press that button 1% of the time.

Hopefully it will only take a few times to figure out I want to BACK into my driveway. But having to select Reverse on the screen doesn't seem like a problem.

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

Hopefully it will only take a few times to figure out I want to BACK into my driveway. But having to select Reverse on the screen doesn't seem like a problem.

I do it every day now, so I expect I'll be able to live with the inconvenience. I suspect AI will probably guess you want to back out of a driveway on the first try, seeing as these cars can handle round-a-bouts somewhat respectably.

 

[Sirfun]

I would (almost) bet the car will get delivered with a round wheel. In any vehicle where you routinely turn more than half a round of the wheel it’s much safer with a round wheel than a yoke. Not to mention in off-road situations. To use a yoke they would also have to change typical steering wheel behavior and gear ratio depending on speed (much more than what is common today), which is possible, but will take some getting used to. Formula 1 cars do *not* use a yoke, it’s only flattened on one end.

I was thinking about this, when I go for a tight turn and I'm reaching hand over hand, it's for the bottom of the steering wheel, or maybe the other side. But never all the way around and back for the top. I watched a few of the CT night of the reveal videos and they were doing U-turns easily. I don't think this will be a problem.

 

[madquadbiker]

I was thinking about this, when I go for a tight turn and I'm reaching hand over hand, it's for the bottom of the steering wheel, or maybe the other side. But never all the way around and back for the top. I watched a few of the CT night of the reveal videos and they were doing U-turns easily. I don't think this will be a problem.

So boats use a yoke, just putting it out there.

 

[CompMaster]

I'm sure I'll fine a good spot to put my suicide wheel on the Yoke just like any other wheel. Problem solved ??

 

[MEDICALJMP]

Tesla’s bold “yoke” steering system is legal on UK roads, confirms regulators
(CREDIT: TESLA)
Maria Merano
February 3, 2021

When Tesla launched the new Model S and Model X last week, critics immediately pounced on the vehicles’ uniquely-shaped “yoke” steering system. If recent comments from UK regulators are any indication, however, it appears that Tesla’s yoke steering for the refreshed flagship vehicles will find a welcome home on Britain’s roads.

Vehicles on UK roads are governed by several regulatory bodies. In a recent report, The Sunday Times opted to get confirmation from the appropriate agency to see if Tesla’s steering yoke would be approved for public use or not. The publication reached out to the Driver and Vehicle Safety Agency (DVSA), which referred it to the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). The VCA then passed the Times to the Department for Transport (DfT).

The UK Department for Transport oversees all agencies and policy decisions that involve roads, vehicles, and road safety. Following an inquiry, the publication received a short response, and it was quite positive for the US-based electric car maker: “The regulations relating to steering equipment (UN-ECE Regulation 79) does not stipulate any shape or size of the steering wheel,” the DfT wrote.

The UK body’s response echoes the stance of The Netherlands’ Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer (RDW), which supervises vehicle and driving licensing, registration, and control in the country. In a recent statement to a local news agency, the RDW confirmed that Tesla’s uniquely-shaped steering system for the Model S and Model X are completely legal. The agency even cited the same UN-ECE Regulation 79 to highlight its point.

The DfT guidance on MOT inspections references the testing of various steering systems, including yokes and handlebars. Based on the agency’s guidelines, a steering system could pass as long as there isn’t excessive play, wear, or damage the would render a vehicle dangerous. Designs that could result in accidents would also trigger a recall. In short, as long as Tesla can demonstrate that the new Model S and Model X’s steering yoke is safe, it would be completely legal for use on UK roads.

However, the DfT did note that there is something on Tesla’s new flagship cars that warrant concern. Tesla notes in its official webpage that the Model S and Model X features wireless controller compatibility that allows gaming from any seat in the vehicle. According to the DfT, UK law indicates that features like video games must not be available to front-seat passengers when the car is in motion. If Tesla allows Arcade games to be displayed on the Model S and Model X refresh’s main display while the vehicles are moving, the company could run afoul of regulators, even if the front passenger is the one playing games, not the driver.

“By law, drivers can only use screens when viewing driving information related to the state of the vehicle or its equipment, when navigation is displayed, or when assisting in viewing the road around the vehicle. Under the Road Vehicles (Constriction and Use) regulations, screens used for anything else should not be visible to the driver while the vehicle is being driven,” a DfT spokesperson said.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-yoke-steering-approved-uk-regulators/


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More proof the Yoke is no joke. It is on the way. Deal with it.

 

[MEDICALJMP]

And this just in:

Tesla Yoke Is Perfectly Legal For Use Across Europe, Including UK
https://insideevs.com/news/486604/tesla-yoke-legal-europe-uk/

By: Andrei Nedelea
February 8, 2021

European regulations don’t really specify what shape a steering... device needs to be.

Many people who found Tesla’s steering wheel-replacing yoke a joke expressed their view that its shape may constitute a safety risk and that some governing bodies will outlaw it. Well, Europe has some of the most stringent regulations when it comes to what can go on a modern production car, yet there is nothing to stipulate that the apparatus you steer with needs to be round, or any specific shape, really.

The Sunday Times, whose aim was to see if the U-shaped yoke was legal in the United Kingdom (which it is), pointed to European Union regulations (still applied in post-Brexit Britain) that allow any shape helm as long as you can’t impale yourself on it in the event of a crash. This means that the yoke is legal not only in the UK, but throughout the European Union.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States is more conservative. In an official response regarding the yoke situation, the NTHSA issued a statement saying

At this time, NHTSA cannot determine if the steering wheel meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. We will be reaching out to the automaker for more information.
It would be downright amusing if the yoke got the green light for Europe and other markets, but be quashed in Tesla’s home market. The same article in The Sunday Times points out that while the yoke is officially legal in Europe, Tesla will have a bigger problem convincing officials that the new gaming system doesn’t present a safety issue.


The problem it may pose is due to the fact that any occupant in the car, regardless where they sit, will be able to play games on the central screen. This wouldn’t really be a problem if games would only work when the vehicle is stationary, but Tesla has so far not detailed this - for instance, having the front passenger play games on the main screen, while the car is in motion, may be seen as a distraction for the driver and deemed a safety risk.

Source: The Sunday Times

 

[LoPro]

Why would this be a slower process in the federated USA than in the bureaucratic EU? Assuming they want to keep up with the times and it’s not just a case of actually different opinions on it. This is similar to the case of video side mirrors.

 

[Crissa]

Why would this be a slower process in the federated USA than in the bureaucratic EU? Assuming they want to keep up with the times and it’s not just a case of actually different opinions on it. This is similar to the case of video side mirrors.

Because our system is designed to say 'no' and the EU has a system leaning towards trying new things?

-Crissa

 

[OCS12]

The buttons for D/R/P are on the center console.

If you turn on your car and there's nothing in front of you, it's going to guess you want to go forward. I expect it will be right 99% of the time. If there is a wall in front of you, it will guess reverse. I also expect this to be right 99% of the time. If not, you press the button. But you will probably only have to press that button 1% of the time.

This is the same company hit with a forced recall because the center console is dying. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the rocket scientist isn’t always right.

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

This is the same company hit with a forced recall because the center console is dying. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the rocket scientist isn’t always right.

"Science is discovering the essential truths about what exists in the Universe, engineering is about creating things that never existed. Much of what people think of a science is actually engineering, eg no such thing as a “rocket scientist”, only rocket engineers. Latter is who put humans on the moon."

-Elon Musk

 

[Crissa]

This is the same company hit with a forced recall because the center console is dying. ...

The features that failed on the center console were not the ones involved in driving the car.

It was display of non-driving features and boot-up speed.

In fact, they recently updated it to make sure the firmware (a different piece than was failing) would always display the camera, even if the EMMU failed.

Which just means it's even more reliable than you give it.

-Crissa

 

[Obxcast]

is all this even compliant? somebody in the know can please comment on this

I haven't found anything in the regulations that states it is not legal...anyone else?