BMW's application for a new "steering handle" patent offers a clear space advantage

Since the invention of the car, there have been many strange steering wheels. Recently, driven by the rapid development of autonomous driving, many manufacturers have updated some designs that have been perfected, such as Tesla's yoke steering wheel and Hyundai's addition of screens to the newly invented steering wheel. According to foreign media reports, BMW's latest steering wheel design is also controversial. This raises the question of why it is necessary to update the design that is already ideal.

(Image source: carbuzz)

Patented drawings show that the design offers a clear spatial advantage. In a world where autonomous driving has been integrated into everyday life, the cabin has become a kind of lounge, and the more spacious it is, the better.

This new design, called the "steering handle," features a pair of "tilting grip elements," or smaller grips, to meet the driver's needs. They are placed on some kind of yoke, and the principle of the traditional steering wheel remains the same: raise your left hand and turn right, and vice versa. The smaller handle rotates to always maintain a vertical position, and the main horizontal spoke rotates around the central axis, which means that in principle it is similar to normal steering wheel operation. But if the way of operation doesn't change, does this design really have an advantage in everyday driving?

This is just one way BMW is solving the problem of space in the car. In fact, the patent application filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office only mentions that "more installation space can be obtained by means of a steering handle", not the steering wheel. However, it will certainly add weight in some way to prevent excessive rotation.

Of course, this type of steering device will take some time to adapt.