Tesla’s Yoke-Style Steering Wheel Belongs On A Track, Not Neighborhood Street 

Formula One fans have watched enough races and cockpit live feeds to notice F1 cars have yokes instead of steering wheels. Even when the race cars are zooming around hairpin turns, F1 drivers barely turn the wheel about one-third of a full rotation, nevertheless take their hands off the yoke. But for whatever reason, when Tesla refreshed the Model S, it decided to swap out traditional steering wheels for yoke-style steering, which has been a nightmare for some driving on conventional roads. 

There’s been a fierce debate on social media on whether the yoke is safe for public roads, while Tesla fanboys are defending using the race car steering wheel that is meant for the track. 

In the video below, a Tesla owner must make multiple rotations on the steering wheel to complete a normal turn. 

“Don’t judge the yoke and the lack of shifters until you try it,” they said. pic.twitter.com/bG0lCbJr5f

— Quinn Nelson (@SnazzyQ) June 26, 2021

Here another video of a Tesla driver using the yoke that makes driving so much harder. Notice how many rotations the driver has to make for a traditional turn than a standard steering wheel? 

Another clip shows a driver who has to make multiple rotations of the yoke just to stay straight in a parking lot. 

Commenting on the video, one Twitter user said: “This is literally the incorrect way to drive. The reason you hand over hand is to keep control of the wheel in both directions. If your hand slips like this while turning, you’re going right into oncoming traffic.” 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says it’s fine if a driver has to move hand-over-hand at low speeds but making multiple rotations at high speeds with one hand off the yoke is a recipe for losing control. 

Meanwhile, the refreshed Model S, otherwise known as Tesla Model S Plaid, was raced at the 99th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, without a yoke but a traditional steering wheel. Hmmm… 

The yoke seems to be another gimmick that is not practical for everyday driving. 

… and one more thing: 

pic.twitter.com/ozoAI2nWTy

— Armando Ferreira (@mondobytes) June 27, 2021