Tesla owners who just want a normal steering wheel on their Model S and Model X get their wish

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Tesla owners who just want a normal steering wheel on their Model S and Model X get their wish
Owners of Tesla Model S/X will soon be able to switch their rectangular steering wheel with a traditional round one.Courtesy of Tesla.
  • Tesla's Model S/X owners will have the option to replace the yoke steering wheel with a round one.
  • The move comes after Tesla car owners complained about the learning curve of the box wheel.
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Tesla is finally providing an option for a round steering wheel for its Model S and Model X cars after many people complained about its controversial "yoke" butterfly steering wheel.

Starting in March, Tesla owners can replace their current steering wheels for $700.

While it's a win for Tesla drivers seeking less futuristic tech and more old-school design in their vehicles, Tesla isn't adding another feature some have asked for: a stalk.

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Unlike a conventional wheel, the yoke wheel is rectangular with a tiny button for honking. The stalk — the part in conventional cars that controls core functions such as turn signals, headlights, and windshield wipers — was replaced with buttons on the steering yoke.

The change comes after popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee and other Tesla car owners have complained about the wheel in initial reviews, including the fact that the off-centered placement of the horn — a tiny button on the rectangular box wheel — can make driving awkward and potentially dangerous. (Brownlee has since said that he has grown to like the yoke design, and tweeted that he didn't plan to switch because it would not include a stalk.)

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One 2021 Model S owner based in Hawaii complained that the placement of the horn is "criminally stupid" and blamed it for almost getting into three accidents.

Other Model S owners and reviewers have said that turning the car doesn't feel natural, and that they found themselves accidentally turn on the signals or windshield wipers because the buttons were so sensitive.

Driving the car can be especially problematic if the roads are icy and the car slips, as it can be difficult to regain control, Fred Lambert, the editor-in-chief of EV website Electrek who has driven the Model S, tweeted in 2021.

Tesla has not yet indicated if the horn will be placed in the middle of the round wheel. Elon Musk announced on Twitter in March 2022 that Tesla would be updating the design of the steering wheel to put the horn button in the middle of the wheel, though Musk said that the adjustments may take years, Electrek reported. He did not say whether a stalk will be added.

Tesla didn't respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication.

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