Tesla’s attempt to reinvent the steering wheel with the launch of the controversial yoke looks to have floundered as what was once a standard feature has now become a $1,000 option.
The yoke was introduced back in 2021 and came fitted as standard on the Model S and Model X. It was fiercely criticized by many (but praised by some Tesla stans) because unlike the yoke used by Lexus, it is not paired with a steer-by-wire system with a variable steering ratio. That means that performing even the most basic of steering maneuvers requires drivers to fumble around at the yoke as if it’s their first time ever driving a car.
Watch: The Lexus RZ’s Yoke Is Better Than Tesla’s For One Simple Reason
Musk repeatedly defended the introduction of the yoke and said that a traditional, round steering wheel would not be offered. However, the carmaker finally relented earlier this year, announcing that a round wheel would become standard on the Model S and Model X while the yoke would be a no-cost option. Before long, the yoke attracted a surcharge of $250 and now, it is a $1,000 option. Oh, how things change.
Owners of post-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with a yoke can have it retrofitted with a round steering wheel for $700.
The dramatic price hike for the yoke has led some to speculate that Tesla may be now actively encouraging shoppers to not choose it when ordering their car. As Electrek notes, the price rise could also be used as a way to recoup some of the costs from Tesla’s recent decision to cut prices of the Model S and Model X.
The fact that the redesigned Tesla Model 3 does not have the yoke is also telling and indicates that the Model Y likely won’t have it either. As Tesla’s two best-selling models (by a significant margin), Tesla clearly doesn’t see the yoke hitting the mainstream. Heck, not even the Cybertruck has a yoke.
