Tesla: Controversial YOKE to be revised

When Tesla came around the corner with its new editions of the Model S and Model X, there was great excitement about the increased performance. But disillusionment also spread. This related to the highly controversial yoke – a steering unit that was more reminiscent of an airplane’s control unit than a classic steering wheel. The company now claims to have made improvements. However, it seems doubtful whether these will solve the fundamental problem.

Tesla donates separate horn button

If you are one of the lucky ones who own a current version of the Tesla Model S or Model X, you will certainly be familiar with the yoke. You may be like many other drivers of these high-priced electric cars. After all, there was a lot to complain about with the control unit. One problem concerned the horn, which is quite important in road traffic. In the original version, it is difficult to activate. In the new version, however, the horn has its very own button. This conclusion can be drawn from a recently published YouTube video.

As befits a classic steering wheel, the new Yoke has a button in the middle that you can use to operate the horn. Especially in direct comparison to its predecessor, this innovation is definitely appropriate. Anyone who switched from a “classic” steering wheel to the Yoke only found the horn after a long search. Tesla simply placed it as a mini button on the side of the steering wheel. Of course, this is not really intuitive. It is therefore not surprising that many customers simply stopped using the horn altogether, which can be a real safety risk in road traffic.

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Improved quality

Customers continued to complain about the quality of the extraordinary steering wheel. This was at a level that is simply not appropriate for the purchase price of a Model S or Model X. There were many reports of the material wearing out quickly. For some buyers, it was probably so dramatic that a new yoke had to be replaced after just a few months. Accordingly, revised decorative seams and a higher material quality should now ensure a better look and feel and, above all, greater durability. The question now, of course, is whether Tesla will also replace the old yoke with the new version for vehicles that have already been purchased.

Design is a matter of taste

The look of the Yoke is a real stunner. At least for fans of the likeably trashy 80s series Knightrider. Here, actor and trash icon David Hasselhoff took a seat in his extremely intelligent vehicle called K.I.T.T. episode after episode. If you think of the steering unit of the sports car with its black body and flashing interior, it will undoubtedly remind you of the Yoke. But what looks good is not always necessarily practical.

On long stretches without bends, it is certainly an advantage to be able to take an uninterrupted look at the speedometer and the other instruments. On winding roads in urban areas, however, the unfamiliar design is more of an obstacle. You quickly realize that steering wheels are circular for a reason. Perhaps Tesla will come up with a trick in the next version that will make the annoying reaching around in bends unnecessary.