Luxury EV maker Lucid Group Inc LCID reportedly considered having a yoke steering wheel in its newly unveiled Gravity SUV along the lines of EV giant Tesla Inc TSLA. However, as noticed during the SUV’s reveal earlier this month, Lucid did not go forward with the decision.
What Happened: Though the company considered the yoke steering wheel, it had concerns pertaining to its operability and hence decided against it, InsideEVs reported, citing the firm’s Senior Vice President of Design and Brand Derek Jenkins.
"We just felt it was a compromise we weren't willing to make," Jenkins said, as per the report. "If I want to back up and not look at the wheel, you can't do that with a yoke. It just doesn't work," he added.
The Gravity SUV, instead, has a steering wheel with a shape between a circle and a square termed “squircle” by the executive. The shape enables the driver to view the user interface known as the Clearview Cockpit which features a 34-inch curved display placed above the wheel.
Why It Matters: Tesla introduced the yoke as a standard for two of its more premium vehicles in 2021. However, now the yoke is available as an option for $1,000 in the Model S and X while the round wheel is the standard. While some drivers prefer the yoke, others prefer the circular wheel.
Lucid, meanwhile, unveiled the Gravity earlier this month at the LA Auto Show. The vehicle is expected to start production in late 2024 with pricing starting under $80,000.
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Photos courtesy: Lucid
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