Future Renault models could swap steering wheels for yokes

Renault is considering offering a steering yoke in future cars – but will pursue the technology only once buyers have sufficient trust in its reliability. 

The company is using its new one-off Filante streamliner to test the technology, with a two-spoke yoke fitted around a central instrument screen.

This controls the wheels through an electronic connection, rather than a traditional steering rack, using electric motors to provide feedback such as increased weight or bumps.

The removal of the column “liberates a lot of space on the interior”, Renault concept car design boss Sandeep Bhambra said. “It’s something that we are looking at for future cars, but it’s not that easy to put something so innovative in a production car.”

Asked by Autocar what exactly had slowed development of the system, given that Lexus and Toyota have given a similar set-up the nod for production and Tesla already sells the Cybertruck with steer-by-wire, Bhambra said “mostly customer acceptance” and asked: “How many people actually buy those Toyotas or Lexuses?”

Renault interior design boss Stephane Maiore added that the company doesn’t have enough customer feedback about steer-by-wire “for the moment” but that it would use the Filante to “explore the technology and work on it”.

Speaking to Autocar at the Filante’s public debut at the Rétromobile classic car show, Renault design boss Gilles Vidal elaborated: “I’m not sure the customer actively demands by-wire. And if we give that, it needs to be super reassuring in terms of ‘is it still nice to drive and safe to drive, and what’s the feeling about it?’. That will be the first question.

“Once people are reassured, we will deliver even more, even better. So that’s how the public will understand it, and that’s the path they will take to maybe agree to it – and like it and love it, possibly.”

Notably, the Filante also forgoes traditional throttle and brake pedals in favour of video game controller-style triggers mounted on the rear of the steering spokes. Maiore told Autocar this was conceptual and highly unlikely to make it into any future production cars, however.