Auto manufacturer BMW recently teased an interesting feature that is added into its upcoming iNext electric vehicle. The German carmaker released a teaser photo of what appears to be a polygonal steering wheel. The steering wheel design closely resembles that of an F1 car, although there is obviously a huge lack of control buttons.
This is not the first time BMW generated attention towards its upcoming electric vehicle. In the past, the company has released a number of rough sketches of what many believed to be the car's exterior design, a production-ready model, and the internals of the car which sports a huge curved screen.
The new steering wheel design of the upcoming BMW iNext electric vehicle resembles that of the one from the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford GT. If that is any indication, it might mean that BMW is planning to release the iNext EV in that same segment of the market as well.
BMW has kept its silence regarding the official specs of the upcoming electric vehicle. However, the company did promise that it will release bits of information about the iNext within the foreseeable future.
BMW claims that the new steering wheel design has some purposes as well, rather than just purely aesthetic. The carmaker said that the new design would allow drivers to tell the exact steering angle of the car. This, the company believes, will give the impression of a more automated driving mode. Reports claim that the new steering wheel has embedded fiber optics on its side, which utilizes different colors in order to inform the driver if a particular automated function can be activated. The same sensors also inform the driver when they are required to take control once again of the car.
BMW also claims that by using this new steering wheel design, it will make it easier for the driver to enter and exit the vehicle. Given the huge new curved screen on the car's dashboard, the new steering wheel design will also allow the driver to easily monitor the car's cluster of gauges without any sort of distraction.
As for its range, BMW claims that the new iNext is capable of reaching up to 373 miles on a single charge only. However, that figure is based on the European WLTP test, which is considered less conservative compared to that of the EPA. The next BMW iNext electric vehicle is expected to enter hit production in 2021.
