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GM Yoke Steering Wheel Concept Beats Tesla, Comes With Gaming Smartphone Look

Even though some (erroneously) seem to think otherwise, a few things in life are decidedly round. Planet Earth would be one, but if we are to stick just to the automotive realm, we could also count on the wheel... or the steering wheel.
General Motors Design steering wheel concept showcased on Instagram 8 photos
Photo: GM Design/Instagram
General Motors Design steering wheel concept showcased on InstagramGeneral Motors Design steering wheel concept showcased on InstagramTesla Model S Plaid cockpitTesla Model S Plaid cockpitTesla Model S Plaid cockpitTesla Model S Plaid cockpitTesla Model S Plaid cockpit
Granted, over the years, some automakers have started to develop a distorted perception of the latter. Some took logical safety measures. Such as racing with a flat bottom, detaching steering wheel that would enable a faster extraction from the cockpit if needed. Others decided to shrink the dimensions to (arguably) deliver better ergonomics.

Recently, there was one carmaker that stirred the pot even further and caused “a little bit” of controversy. Naturally, we are referring to the Tesla decision to equip the mighty Model S Plaid with something resembling an airplane’s yoke steering system. Nobody can deny the performance of their latest EV iteration. Yet also nobody can argue with the fact that moving to the new concept of cockpit command requires a rather steep learning curve.

And that’s just to put the criticism mildly. Anyways, one can easily count on automakers to pursue directions that no one asked for, some for the better, some for the worse. And we have many examples, including the way BMW thinks it knows better than most of its fans (and customers?) in terms of big-grilled designs.

But let’s not pick on them because we need to address the GM gaming-smartphone-like elephant in the social media virtual room. The latest post from the GM Design account reveals a designer’s take on the yoke-steering concept. To better (or not) Tesla’s work, this virtual project also includes an instrument-cluster-like screen (presumably of the touch variety).

Not to speak about ergonomics 101, but isn’t the driver supposed to look out the windshield when driving (there are two modes, Autonomous and Human Drive)? And what’s with all the crazy colors trying to fight for the driver’s attention as if we are dealing with the latest gaming-oriented smartphone rig?

On a side note, the previous entry from a couple of days ago features the complete take on a new cockpit. As far as we can tell, the virtual artist envisioned it for a Buick of the future... and that decidedly futuristic treatment looks a lot better, even if there are a lot of crimson lights in there as well!





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Editor's note: Gallery includes official images of the Tesla Model S Plaid.

About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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