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Tesla is a company of many firsts – it is even the most valuable car company globally, by a substantial margin. And in keeping up with playing this leadoff role, the US-based company last January announced the steering yoke as a replacement to the conventional circular steering wheel for the Tesla Model S Plaid. This news drew – and continues to draw – mixed reactions and has even possibly overshadowed the two-ton vehicle’s other impressive attributes, including the fact that the Plaid version accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in sub-2 seconds, per Tesla.
The mixed reactions vary from praise to outright criticism, with some observers sitting on the fence. Unfortunately, despite the drastic change embodied by the yoke and the well-known concept of muscle memory, the yoke is a mandatory feature for the Model S Plaid. It goes without saying that this fact may put off some would-be buyers. Fortunately, PimpMyEV has come to the rescue. We have launched a traditional, fully round/circular steering wheel replacement for Tesla Model S Plaid owners. This also works on the new Model X 2022 refresh.
Tesla Model S Plaid Steering Yoke
Tesla Model S Plaid Interior (source)
When Tesla announced the steering yoke, enthusiasts and loyal fans lauded it as futuristic and characteristic of an ambitious and bold design approach. The yoke is rectangular, resembling what you might find in a Formula1 race car – of course, minus the tens of numerous buttons. However, it has a few touch buttons located in unconventional areas and serving unconventional functions.
The yoke features touch buttons for the blinkers and headlights instead of the standard indicator and headlight stalks normally found in other cars. Similarly, Tesla has offset the horn from the centre, again as a touch button.
Drawbacks of the Steering Yoke
Users have reported accidentally and unintentionally pressing the highly touch sensitive turn signals. It is also easy to press the wrong button as the left and right signals are only separated by a small protruding horizontal strip.
But from a practicality point of view, users have reported more glaring issues. Firstly, the yoke takes some getting used to because of muscle memory. Because users have already gotten used to vehicles with circular steering wheels, their usual hand movements have been imprinted in their brains. Thus, by being unconventionally different, the yoke is a tad disorienting, especially when making tight turns.
Secondly, the yoke presents a safety concern. Ordinarily, a driver using a circular steering wheel would use the hand-over-hand steering to navigate sharp corners. This common method entails placing your hand at the wheel’s 10 and 2 o’clock positions. However, this movement is not feasible with the rectangular yoke, which lacks the top part.
Thirdly, the yoke does not offer the driver enough gripping real estate. A circular steering wheel offers plenty of gripping points regardless of its orientation. The same cannot be said of the yoke as it lacks the top part.
These reasons have led some Reddit users to describe the rectangular steering wheel as an “annoying” addition to an otherwise brilliant car. The fact that the yoke is a mandatory feature further compounds this problem. Fortunately, you can get around the issue using a bespoke circular steering wheel from PimpMyEV.
PimpMyEV Circular Steering Wheel
The round steering wheel, available for order here, solves the user experience problem associated with the yoke. It also enhances the functionality of the Model S Plaid and new Model X with yoke, especially when you need to make sharp turns.
It is noteworthy that while our circular steering wheel modifies the yoke by bringing back what you have grown used to – the traditional round steering wheel – it retains the touch buttons. This means that our circular steering wheel for the Tesla Model S Plaid still has touch-activated horns, indicators, and headlights.
At PimpMyEV, we fulfil all your customization needs, and this philosophy extends even to the steering wheel. We can customize and make the circular steering wheel based on your desired colour and chosen seam. We also manufacture the wheel with real-life tolerances to ensure it fits precisely.
Unlock the true potential of the beastly Tesla Model S Plaid, including practicality and safety, with our bespoke round steering wheel.
To learn more about the steering wheel and other PimpMyEV products, visit pimpmyev.com. Follow PimpMyEV on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. We offer free worldwide shipping.
