Tesla may be considering letting customers choose between the traditional circular steering wheel or the Yoke steering wheel that Tesla introduced in the new Model S last year.
Yoke steering wheel
Tesla Hacker @greentheonly is known on Twitter for digging deep into software and coding to find what a car manufacturer might launch in the future. In the past, Green discovered the encoding that activated the camera facing the cabin, as well as many other discoveries.
Green's latest discovery in Tesla coding is labeled "PROC_GTW_X_STEERING-WHEEL-YOKE-SWAP." After opening the prompt, the user can select "Circle" or "Yoke".
Tesla Model S
Initially, when Tesla began delivering vehicles equipped with Yoke's steering wheel, it did not intend to offer the option of a traditional steering wheel. Last summer, Tesla employees revealed that Tesla would deliver all models of the Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid versions with Yoke's steering wheel. It's unclear if the Yoke steering wheel will be used in other vehicles. As of now, the Yoke steering wheel is the standard wheel design for all Model S and Model X models.
This is a bit controversial, as many orderers complain that they didn't know they would receive a car with a Yoke steering wheel. This has raised concerns among some drivers who want to know if the steering wheel is legal and compliant with NHTSA safety standards. The agency has adopted a self-certification process whereby manufacturers can make changes to their vehicles as long as they sincerely consider the safety of passengers.
The Yoke steering wheel has begun to be popular with many people. There was a comment in Green's post that it was very difficult to use the first 100 miles of Yoke's steering wheel. However, after a month of experience, they wouldn't consider driving with a traditional round steering wheel again.
Yoke is popular among Tesla owners and can be retrofitted through a third-party manufacturer.
Tesla has not confirmed whether it will offer that option to customers.