BMW has been granted a patent for a yoke steering wheel

BMW is seeking to patent a steering yoke that would replace the traditional wheel with two small grips.

The application, first discovered by CarBuzz and filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), describes a "steering handle" with grips that always remain vertical, attached to a single horizontal spoke that rotates around a central hub. Theoretically, this handle should operate like a conventional steering wheel.

What is the point of a steering yoke that looks different but functions just like a conventional wheel? The application states that instead of a steering wheel, "additional installation space can be gained by a steering handle," so perhaps that is the main benefit. It also appears that the grips can be folded down when not in use, providing additional space.

Such a design might be especially beneficial in future autonomous vehicles that might not use the steering wheel as much. Numerous concept cars have employed folding steering wheels as a way to provide more space when the vehicle is in autonomous mode. [However, the exact use case BMW has in mind is unclear. As with other automotive industry patents, BMW has not confirmed plans to use its steering wheel in production vehicles, and may not. Automakers often obtain technology patents without specific plans for use in production vehicles. Sometimes it is merely a means of preventing rivals from copying their ideas.

Tesla has already introduced a steering yoke on the Model S and Model X, a controversial move; unlike BMW's design, Tesla's yoke is essentially the top half removed from a traditional steering wheel. When Tesla began offering yoke-equipped cars to customers in the middle of last year, negative comments about the awkwardness of the yoke quickly poured in. Perhaps reinventing the wheel was not a good idea.