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No yoke – the Lexus RZ450e won’t get the unconventional steering controller when the electric SUV arrives in local showrooms.
The electric 2023 Lexus RZ450e won’t be available with a ‘yoke’ steering controller – similar to those found in aeroplanes and Formula One cars – when the model initially goes on sale.
According to a report from US website CarBuzz, Lexus confirmed the aircraft-style steering control – and the electronic steering system accompanying it – won’t be ready at the RZ’s launch as engineers were still perfecting the technology.
It is unclear when the technology is now due to launch.
“There are certain points [when developing] a new, pioneering technology, sometimes you will feel like, is this really natural or not?” said Yushi Higashiyama, one of the engineers working on the RZ project.
“That’s the kind of thing [the engineers] are looking at. At this point right now, they want to refine it. Technically, they’re not ready… it’s not worthy [for release yet].”
While the controller isn’t circular like a conventional steering wheel, Lexus says it doesn’t need to be, as drivers shouldn’t need to turn it multiple times from lock to lock.
This is because the unconventional steering device is connected to an electronic steer-by-wire system, with an adjustable steering ratio which adjusts how much input is needed depending on the car’s speed.
It is more advanced than ‘active steering’ systems popular in luxury cars – and introduced by BMW in 2003 – which increase the amount of steering input required at high speed (making the car more stable), but decrease the amount of steering needed at low speeds, such as during parking.
Tesla was the first car company in recent times to introduce the unconventional steering controller, but in January 2023 the electric car-maker quietly reintroduced the option of a typical round steering wheel back into its Model S and Model X vehicles.
The theory is the square-shaped controller not only improves visibility to the digital gauge cluster, but the flat bottom also helps the driver when entering and exiting the cabin.
Unlike the Lexus system, Tesla’s steering ‘yoke’ is connected to a conventional steering rack, requiring multiple turns from lock to lock.
The 2023 Lexus RZ450e is due in Australian showrooms in May, and the yoke and steer-by-wire systems have been confirmed for Australia – but it is unclear when they will become available.
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