It only took a little over a week for Tesla's Model S/X steering wheel retrofit to sell out on the automaker's online store.
Last week, we reported that Tesla started offering this option 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 Model S/X Wheel Retrofit product now appears as "out of stock" on Tesla's online shop, as Teslarati found out. This doesn't necessarily mean that the option is gone forever, but more like the initial stock sold out. Hopefully Tesla will replenish supply in the future.
While the EV maker did not say how many steering wheels it had in stock, it's pretty clear that demand went through the roof, despite the fact the retrofit option wasn't exactly cheap.
Apparently, many owners of refreshed Model S and Model X vehicles want to get rid of the steering yoke, which 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 EVs orders.
Customers interested in the Model S/X Wheel Retrofit were able to purchase it 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 got mixed reviews from owners and journalists alike.
Many users complained that it wasn't practical for everyday driving, especially when taking tight turns. Others criticized the yoke for being cheaply made – there were reports of the finish peeling off on cars with less than 20,000 miles.
People also weren't happy with the fact Tesla deleted the stalks for the wipers and transmission, along with the capacitive touch buttons for the turn signals and the horn. Mind you, 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 backtracking 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. Tesla may still call it a yoke, but it's more of a conventional wheel with flat top and bottom.
