Tesla backtracks on yoke, brings back good old round steering wheel

Tesla has backtracked on its much-hyped yoke steering, which was introduced to the Model S and Model X range in 2021 as part of a major update. While some customers loved the idea, some had serious trouble controlling the cars using the yoke. However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was adamant about the new steering. Now, it seems the car manufacturer has backtracked on its plan and brought back the traditional round steering wheel as an option for the Model S and Model X. With this move, buyers of these two Tesla cars will now have the option to choose between a yoke and a round-shaped steering wheel.

Electrek has reported that Tesla updated its online configurator earlier this week and included a round steering wheel option at no extra charge for the Model X and Model S. This allows customers who want to have a yoke to continue with that, while buyers who love old-school round steering wheel can opt for that. However, Tesla car owners with a yoke will have to pay extra to get a round steering wheel. Retrofitting the Tesla cars and replacing the yoke with a round steering wheel will cost the existing owners around $700. The retrofitting option is claimed to be available post-March 2023.

Meanwhile, Tesla has updated its cars. Besides bringing back the round steering wheel, Tesla has included some subtle updates to the Model S and Model X. Both the electric vehicles now come with a TESLA watermark on the trunk lid compared to the conventional Tesla logo. Apart from that, the automaker has re-introduced the red brake callipers, while the Model Plaid now comes with better brakes ensuring higher thermal efficiency. However, no changes have been made to the Model 3 and Model Y.