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Earlier in March, Tesla announced a new retrofit for existing Model S and Model X owners. Since 2021, Tesla’s two priciest models have only been offered with a yoke, which is a steering apparatus that looks like a traditional wheel without the top section. It was immediately controversial, and after much chagrin from both the press and owners, Tesla eventually added a traditional wheel to the options list early this year. The automaker also opened up orders for this wheel to be retrofitted to current yoke-equipped vehicles for the tidy sum of $700. As today, that retrofit is currently sold-out.

The saga of Tesla’s yoke is a long and storied one. Initially, when it was offered, Musk’s company did not have approval from regulatory agencies like the NHTSA. “[We] cannot determine if the steering wheel meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. We will be reaching out to the automaker for more information,” the agency told Road & Track at the time.

While the vehicles were eventually deemed legal to sell, concerns surrounding the need to use hand-over-hand maneuvers with the wheel also went unaddressed by Tesla. In Edmunds’ track test of a Model S Plaid, we noted, “[…] it loses its appeal the moment you have to make any considerable steering inputs — there’s just not enough to grab onto. The ratio, or how much the front wheels turn in relation to your steering input, is inadequate given the yoke’s limitations…” In short, you have to turn the wheel a lot to get the desired effect, and often find yourself grasping at air as you go hand-over-hand. This was an alarming experience at our racetrack but is also applicable to emergency maneuvers in real life.

It’s worth noting that the only other vehicle on the market with a yoke — the Lexus RZ 450e — solves this issue with a tight steering ratio that requires very little turning of the wheel to point the car where you want to go, limiting the need to go hand-over-hand.

It appears Tesla was surprised by the demand for the retrofit, and the automaker has not given any indication when more wheels will be available. However, Tesla intends to offer new buyers of both the S and X the choice between the yoke and a regular wheel for the foreseeable future.



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