Tesla’s introduction of a yoke steering wheel with the refreshed Model S and Model X proved to be a ‘love it or hate it’ kind of ordeal. Even among those who liked the change, the general consensus was that the transition forced them to re-map years of muscle memory that was programmed for a traditional, round steering wheel.
However, the electric vehicle (EV) maker may soon give its customers what most of them have been asking for since the yoke steering wheel was unveiled — a choice.
According to known Tesla code sleuth and developer @greentheonly, there are references to a steering wheel/yoke swap in the Tesla Toolbox software (via InsideEVs).
— green (@greentheonly) February 24, 2022
The code cracker’s discovery appears to be some sort of a diagnostic tool that can switch between steering configs for a steering yoke and a round steering wheel.
While it is too early to tell exactly what this finding means, it appears to indicate that Tesla is working on a way to give customers the option to switch between a steering yoke and a traditional, round steering wheel.
In October of last year, a Model S refresh sporting a regular, round steering wheel instead of a steering yoke was spotted at a Supercharger.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said back in July 2021 that the Model S refresh would not be getting a circular steering wheel option. However, pushback from customers may have pressed Tesla into offering at least the option for buyers to choose what kind of steering option they prefer.
Tesla also appears to be working on addressing the lack of a traditional airbag horn in vehicles equipped with the yoke steering system, which has a force touch button for the horn. Late last month, a Tesla test vehicle was spotted with a yoke steering wheel and a physical, airbag horn.
There has been no word from Tesla or Musk on the possibility of a steering swap as of yet, but the prospect is clearly being considered by the company.
