Tesla’s Yoke Steering Wheel Now Comes with a Central Horn and Improved Build Quality
Tesla has started delivering a new version of its yoke steering wheel for the Model S and Model X, featuring a physical horn in the center and enhanced construction quality. The redesigned wheel addresses one of the most common complaints about the original yoke steering wheel, which lacked a natural horn placement.
When Tesla first introduced the new Model S with the distinctive yoke butterfly steering wheel, it sparked controversy. While some were concerned about the shape’s practicality, others worried about the absence of a drive stalk to select driving modes. Although it was assumed that Tesla would not release the contentious yoke steering wheel without a nonlinear steering curve enabled by a steer-by-wire system, the initial production models featured a standard 14.0:1 steering ratio. This design has proven less than ideal, particularly at lower speeds.
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, previously acknowledged that the company was developing a progressive steering system, but it would take years to become available. Meanwhile, Tesla has introduced steer-by-wire technology on the Cybertruck.
In place of the traditional stalks, Tesla incorporated all functions into force touch buttons on the wheel, including turn signals and the horn. Musk’s rationale for this change was that “all input is an error,” and that the vehicle should automatically perform all functions previously assigned to the stalks. However, the technology is not yet mature, particularly regarding the horn, prompting Tesla to maintain a round steering wheel option. In fact, Tesla even made the round wheel standard last year.
The newly delivered vehicles are now equipped with an updated version of the yoke steering wheel, boasting a physical horn in the center and an overall improvement in build quality. Controls remain unchanged, but users will benefit from a more intuitive horn placement and a sturdier wheel.
