Tesla’s Model S/X steering wheel retrofit sold out within a week of its launch on the automaker’s online store, according to recent reports. The retrofit option was made available for owners of Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with the steering yoke from the factory. Priced at $700 including installation through Tesla service, the product now appears as “out of stock” on Tesla’s online shop, as per Teslarati. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean that the option is gone forever, it is more likely that the initial stock sold out, and Tesla may replenish the supply in the future.
Despite the fact that the retrofit option wasn’t cheap, it seems that many owners of refreshed Model S and Model X vehicles want to get rid of the steering yoke. The yoke was the only steering wheel option before January 2023 when Tesla introduced a round wheel as a no-cost option for new Model S/X EV orders. Tesla did not disclose how many steering wheels it had in stock, but the sudden sell-out shows that demand went through the roof.
Interested customers were able to purchase the Model S/X Wheel Retrofit through the Tesla App, but only if they owned a Model S or Model X factory-fitted with the steering yoke. When Tesla introduced the yoke as standard equipment on the refreshed Model S and Model X in 2021, it received mixed reviews from owners and journalists alike. Some complained that it wasn’t practical for everyday driving, especially when taking tight turns, while others criticized the yoke for being cheaply made, with reports of the finish peeling off on cars with less than 20,000 miles.
In addition to the yoke, people were also unhappy with the fact that Tesla deleted the stalks for the wipers and transmission, along with the capacitive touch buttons for the turn signals and the horn. However, the round steering wheel retrofit does not bring the stalks and buttons back. The traditional wheel offers exactly the same functionality as the yoke and is similarly integrated into the vehicle.
Tesla’s decision to backtrack on the yoke may signal that the EV maker is starting to take customer feedback more seriously. Even the Cybertruck, which was unveiled as a concept in 2019 with a yoke similar to the one later fitted to the Model S and Model X, has switched to a more traditional wheel in pre-production beta prototype form. Although Tesla may still call it a yoke, it is more of a conventional wheel with a flat top and bottom.
