When Tesla first started offering a yoke steering wheel in the Model X and Model S electric vehicles, CEO Elon Musk declined the idea of a more conventional option. Now the company has actually brought back the round steering wheel as an option in the configurator, electr has called. The selection doesn’t seem to change the price or delivery time.
If you’ve already bought a Tesla Model S or X with a yoke and don’t like it, you also have options. When pointed out by YouTuber and Tesla owner Marques Brownlee is the company is now offering a $700 option to replace the yoke with a round steering wheel. “This retrofit is only compatible with Model S and Model X vehicles configured with a yoke steering wheel. The purchase price includes installation by Tesla Service,” notes Tesla. It adds that the wheel has “no stalks or shifters”.
The yoke divided Tesla fans, as many felt it was impractical for one-handed operation and awkward when driving at slow speeds. It was also accepted potentially unsafe by some owners in case you needed to perform quick maneuvers like a slingshot recovery.
When the yoke came along, Tesla also replaced all handlebars with force-touch buttons, another thing some drivers weren’t thrilled about. However, as mentioned, the new wheel option also has no levers or shifters, and the design appears to be yoke-based in terms of spoke placement, knobs, etc.
When asked in a tweet in 2021 if Tesla would offer a round steering wheel as an option to the yoke, he simply replied, “No.” He further explained that “another round wheel is boring and blocks the screen. FSD in panorama mode looks much better with a yoke.” Apparently there were enough potential buyers who saw things differently.
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