On: Tesla's new steering yoke isn't retro, it's a safety risk

[andor]

"and the fact that it turns more than 360 degrees means the gearing is fixed -and- linear"

Not sure what you mean exactly, but it's not true that only assist power can be modulated. BMW cars with "Active Steering" have been available in Europe since 2003. These cars use a gearbox to achieve a variable steering ratio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_steering

[lloeki → andor]

Interesting! I did not know about that :)

Seems like it’s similar to an automatic gearbox (planetary system).

I’m not sure the benefit is worth the added complexity, but hey, who am I to judge, maybe it’s that much better.