The first week of January hosted the world’s most popular consumer electronics show (CES 2023). Automotive enthusiasts also had the opportunity to meet beautiful concept and mass production vehicles throughout the events. One of the things that caught our attention as the Webtekno team was the steering wheels of the introduced cars.
Maybe you have noticed too; Cars such as the Peugeot Inception, RAM 1500 Revolution, Sony Honda Mobility Afeela and BMW i Vision Dee introduced at CES 2023 did not have circular steering wheels. Instead, the designers opted for octagonal and “butterfly” designs. It’s not a holiday, it’s not watching, where did these strangely designed steering wheels come from?
Non-circular steering wheels are not new. They even date back to the 1920s.
The French automobile company Avions Voisin used square steering wheels in the race car “C6 Laboratoire” designed in 1923. According to the company, this design would improve the racing driver’s vision.
The design used by Avions Voisin has not received much attention over the years. However, when we came to the 1960s, both Chevrolet and Plymouth appeared with non-circular steering wheels. Chevrolet preferred non-round steering wheel designs in the model called Testudo, which did not go into mass production, and Plymouth in the Fury model, which it also sold to consumers. In 1970, this time the British manufacturer Leyland used the polygonal steering wheel design.
Chevrolet, Plymouth and Leyland thought just like Avions Voisin.
A non-circular steering wheel was advantageous for both the road and the instrument display. The field of view had indeed increased. There was also more legroom for the driver. That meant extra comfort.
These reasons have been accepted and preferred by some automotive manufacturers over the years. Square steering wheels, which we saw in some high-end cars such as Lamborghini Gallardo and Audi RS 4 in the 2000s, were preferred in models such as LaFerrari and Aston Martin DB11 in the 2010s.
When we go back to today, we see that nothing has actually changed, and that the designs preferred by automotive designers give life to the vehicles. Some brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen prefer designs in the form of the letter D and increase the knee distance.
There is an even more interesting situation with Tesla. The company opts for a design referred to as the “butterfly”.
There is no upper part of the steering wheel in this design. Making a U-turn is pure torture for the driver! Fortunately, the company has finally given up on butterfly steering, which it had been offering as the only option for years. Consumers who wish will be able to choose the Tesla Model S and Model X with circular steering wheels in the next period.
As driving technologies evolve, the steering wheels will have more advanced structures. When that day comes, instead of circular steering wheels, square or rectangular steering wheels will become more common.
At the beginning of our news; We said that the Peugeot Inception does not have a steering wheel. The company uses a system called “Hypersquare”, inspired by game consoles, in this car. Engineers turn the rectangular steering wheel into a tablet, allowing the control of the vehicle to be managed through this section. As such technologies develop, it seems that the need for steering wheels will decrease and steering wheels with different designs will be delivered to the consumer.
What will happen when we reach the final point? The steering wheel will be buried in the dusty shelves of history!
Another automotive company that took the stage at CES 2023 was Chrysler. The company introduced the cockpit called Synthesis, and did not include the steering wheel in this cockpit. The reason for this was the third level autonomous driving system. Ultra-advanced AI would eliminate the need for a steering wheel. When we come to those days, the steering wheels, which will become completely dysfunctional, will most likely be buried in history…
- Sources: Carscoops, Stellantis, Avions Voisin
