Remember back in 2023 when Tesla decided, bafflingly, that somehow stalks for controlling things like turn indicators and wipers were terrible, regressive things that were holding back the advancement of humans into beings of pure energy, and they replaced them with deeply stupid little buttons on the steering wheel? Remember that? I do. I think we all do. Tesla and its adoring flock were all pretty insufferable about it, despite there being no record of any human in recorded history actually wanting turn signals activated with fussy little buttons instead of a stalk. Well, good news! Tesla seems to have admitted their misstep, and you can now buy a kit to retrofit your Model 3 with real turn signal stalks, as nature intended. “Kit” may be a little misleading, as you do have to take your car to a Tesla service center to have it installed, but still.
Well, if you’re in China, at least. And it costs about $350 whether you’re ordering stalks as an option on your new Model Y or getting the Model 3 retrofit kit. That feels a little like a kick in the teeth, but, hey, it’s a step in the right direction.
At the moment, this upgrade – and, yes, this is unquestionably an upgrade, everyone who wishes to argue with my choice of word there should feel free to go scratch – is only available for “Highland” version Model 3 cars, which appeared first around August 2023, though the website notes that
“This service is available for Model 3 vehicles without steering stalks manufactured after February 7, 2025. Vehicles manufactured before this date will have this service available later.”
I don’t really have any insight why this upgrade only is for such recent cars? Unless that’s when they started planning for a possible return to stalks, and perhaps have hardware that makes the swap easier? I’m just guessing. I’m also going to guess that Model Ys shouldn’t be too far behind when it comes to an upgrade like this, one would think.
I’m very pleased to see a major automaker like Tesla paying attention to the needs and wants of its buyers and potential buyers over inane ideas that happen to be ones held by the leadership of the company, as this inane idea seemed to be. Remember, Elon Musk himself was quite eager to eliminate stalks:
No more stalks. Car guesses drive direction based on what obstacles it sees, context & nav map. You can override on touchscreen.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2021
I was never exactly clear if this tweet was referring to the PRNDL shifter stalk or turn indicator stalks as well, but he pretty clearly states “no more stalks,” so I think that covers all stalks.
We’re seeing a return to physical controls over touch-screen controls and other misguided forays into techno-dumbassery, and I think this is a good thing, overall. On some level, automakers need to stop being so enamored with the latest shiny thing and stop listening to easily-swayed and wow’d focus groups and really looking at how normal, well-adjusted humans who have, maybe, a few weird sex kinks that they keep well-managed actually like to drive and how they interact with their cars, day after day.
I also think all of the hardcore, kneejerk Tesla supporters and followers should look back on how they attempted to blindly justify and champion these bad decisions, and they should have a few hard moments of feeling stupid as they reflect upon the idea that Tesla themselves are rolling back this misguided crap.
buttons are easier, but people dont like to get out of their comfort zone and try something new… ahem boomers
— Mystic (@Mystic2133) May 25, 2023
Like these doofi, going all someone-trying-to-carry-a-bowl-of-popcorn-and-a-remote-on-an-infomercial with the normal use of stalks or accusing everyone who doesn’t want to deal with inconvenient and stupid turn signal buttons as “boomers,” these people need to be sat down and told that Tesla now thinks that stalks are okay, and that we have always been at war with Eastasia, or something else like that designed to, you know, make them feel at least a little bad.
The important thing is that this emerging trend of stalklessness seems to be dying on the vine, and that’s good for all drivers and people of good moral standing. Now let’s hope Tesla expands this to every car they so thoughtlessly stalkcumcised, and that it gets out of China and goes global, too.
(top image: Tesla China)
I like to remind myself that Tesla is the same company that hired someone to make the James Bond Lotus submarine car… actually become a working submarine car after Elon bought the movie prop.
This is not a joke.
It wasn’t really feasible though, so this person was quickly put on other projects.
It wouldn’t be Tesla if they didn’t go in and change any and all time-tested passively-industry-standard feature for no reason what-so-ever.
Steering wheels: Yeah, fuck those. Airplanes use yokes, yokes are cool!
Gear shift: Fuck them too.
Turn signal stalk: How cumbersome.
Functional exterior door handles: Ice? I thought they just deported people; what does that have to do with door handles?
Functional interior door handles: Our chassis electronics never fail. Ever. Especially not in a wreck. (to be fair this isn’t just Tesla)
The funny thing is that the Cybertruck’s use of a yoke is actually excellent. It’s variable-ratio and dials up or down the magnitude of a turn as needed. It’s also an incredibly fail-proof system, with three different sensors and two motors. I drove one and it took about thirty seconds for it to become second-nature. And I say that as someone who is hardly a Tesla fan, and certainly not a fan of the Cybertruck.
But, yes, the yoke on the S and X was just dumb. You cannot treat a yoke like a normal steering wheel, least of all because people expect to be able to grab a wheel at any point in its circumference. And Tesla has even done an about-face on that by allowing you to order a steering wheel as a no-cost option on your S or X and by offering a retrofit kit on existing ones. It seem most people take them up on that option.
I can definitely see a yoke working in niche cases like the cybertruck, but on the other hand I usually hold my steering wheel at about 6:00. I know in Tesla’s case the expectation is to usually be using FSD, but that’s another topic for another day.
The new US Model Y has a turn signal stalk
The indicators are a critical feature. It should be regulated how they operate. Same with clutch, brake and accelerator. And steering wheel, horn, lights, wipers and a few other things.
No more indicator buttons, lights or horns on the end of a stalk or other such nonsense.
“Indicators are critical”
I think BMW drivers would disagree.
No, they wouldn’t, because they don’t know what indicators are.
I have driven a BMW for several years. Not by choice; it was that or no company car. And I have used the indicators. 😀
I had a 2-series, and the indicators were infuriating to use, clearly BMW never received customer feedback on those or they wouldn’t have made them so confounding to use.
The indicators on my early 2000’s 3-series where perfectly normal indicators that worked like any other (sane) set of indicators.
The 2010’s F-chassis cars had a deeply silly indicator stalk that self-centered every time it was pushed, with a gentle push causing it to blink a set number of times before stopping.
If you used the system like a human to change lanes, you’d have to push the stalk somewhat hard to get over the little click, then push it gently the other way to cancel it manually. Using the same force to cancel the signal would lead to accidentally signaling back the other way.
If you used the system as intended, you’d gently push the signal to initiate a set number of blinks, at which point you’d merge, hopefully before it’s done blinking, or have to initiate it again.
So it’s easy to start indicating normally and overcorrect by pushing back normally, causing the car to indicate the other way again for a set amount of time, it’s also easy to start the short-term indicator schedule and fail to merge in time, causing the car to stop indicating before your maneuver is complete, and there’s a third scenario where you think you’re initiating a normal signal, but accidentally started a temporary one, you finish your maneuver, and go to cancel it, successfully apply half-pressure, but the temporary signal was complete and you are, again, signaling back the other way. I experienced all three of these failures in UI design multiple times during my ownership of the car, all presumably because BMW deemed a mechanical detent in the up or down position to be too expensive.
Ah, that. My Opel Corsa D had this wonderful self-centering indicator stalk. So practical! Goes into muscle memory after a few days. I don’t understand why they ommited that from my Opel Adam that followed it, even if it is essentially the same car underneath. Cost-cutting probably. Such a shame. The Adam has old, boring, not-self-centring indicators (but you can still tip them lightly to do the temporary thing, and they will return to the centre position immediately, even before the three flashes are up).
I think my 3-series was like the Adam. Tip for three flashes, over the hump for permanent flashing, but not self-centring when permanently flashing.
And the Adam beeps at you if you go too long (I have never timed it) without cancelling a permanent indicator. Which can be annoying when stuck on an off-ramp.
The self-centering stalks started with the E65 7 Series (naturally), and lasted until the tail end of the F-chassis cars. For instance, the 2017 or 2018 F15 and F30 nixed them. My G-Chassis X5 did not have them.
interestingly, BMW wasn’t the only car company to use those self-centering stalks. My 2020 GS 350 had them, as did a 2013 MKZ I once drove.
And…Tesla uses them. I drive my boyfriend’s Model 3 so infrequently that I can’t remember if it has them or not, but the refreshed Model Y certainly does.
This is making me want to see if my mom would trade her 3 steering wheel for my Y so she can have my stalk and I can have her buttons. I really like the buttons but realize I’m in the minority here.
Biggest downgrade I’ve seen along these lines was when Benz went from the stalk cruise control to the buttons. The stalk was all together easier to use.
Agreed. Same with Volkswagen. They should have kept the stalk on Volkswagen and SEAT. Weirdly, all of the premium Volkswagen brands (Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley) have retained the stalk, plus (inexplicably) Škoda.
Ergonomics kicked Buck Rogers’ ass. As it should be. What works is best is usually best.
What a turn of events.
One good turn deserves another. How about round steering wheels now?
3 and Y are round.
I’m sure there’s some third party company hard at work making DIY kits. You can already get CarPlay enabled retrofit driver’s clusters. There’s also one for physical buttons under the giant iPad display.
And who knows, maybe we might get lucky and see normal gear selectors again too.
There is a third-party kit, it was mentioned here a few weeks ago. It can be set up as a turn signal or a few other functions, as I remember it.
So in addition to Tesla reversing course, it is also Tesla playing Amazon, in seeing someone else making a few pennies off of their cars and offering it themselves.
That kit is pretty cool. They also make a knob with 4 buttons that goes in the center console that’s pretty killer.
Apparently Jeff has not attempted to use a turn signal button while turning the wheel.
A bit late to hit the turn signal if you’re in a turn.
What about a turn right after a curve or another turn? As a truck driver, I can tell you I am always using the turn signal while the wheel is moving, because I have to maneuver so much. Heck, my truck doesn’t have self canceling signals, cause sometimes I have to turn left before going right
Not if you’re in a traffic circle.
Jeff doesn’t signal.
Thats too Boomer.
Tesla switched from the fanboys who wanted the weird tech to car people who want a common sense vehicle.
Should be an option like that silly yoke steering wheel.
The yoke is an option. For at least the past year, and probably longer, you’ve been able to order the S and X with either the yoke or the steering wheel, each a no-cost selection.
Reading that tweet I can’t help but picture a Tesla on autopilot politely indicating its intent to plow into the back of the fire engine first.
What signal would that be and does it cost extra?
Okay, the “guessing” based on the nav map part…
Does he know that sometimes people know where things are and don’t enter their destination in on a map?
This – 80% of my driving is sans GPS. I know my city well and can navigate perfectly fine. I also know a number of other cites/towns well enough to get around without GPS constantly nagging me. I almost always leave the volume off on my GPS as well…
I don’t imagine he drives himself anywhere, so probably not
That said, there are people who put in destinations they’re familiar with, to get an ETA and see traffic conditions en route
I do the same all the time here in SF bay area. Traffic conditions will dictate the best route.
100% this
I live in the SF bay area in the upper end of the east bay, so I always need to check the routes to determine if I take 680 or 880 down to the south bay, etc.
I’m with you. At the same time, I do know people that don’t go on a ten min drive to the local grocery store without plugging in and setting music and nav. It is weird and these people are likely also in a constant state of near-nervous-breakdown. But they do exist.
The main question I have is the percentages. How many on the road? I bet it’s more than I would feel comfortable with.
I’m not really making a value judgment, some people rely on GPS more than others, and it took me a surprisingly long time to remember the route to my boyfriend’s workplace once we started dating.
And hell, about the music thing, my mom was a great driver with the radio on, absolutely terrible with it off. It was wild.
My main thing is that a lot of the time people don’t put the address into GPS, does he think they don’t exist?
I have Gen Z relatives that can’t tell me what roads they drive every day to work, are always on GPS, and couldn’t read a map if their lives depended on it. One had a broken phone and was afraid he wouldn’t know the way to work – after working there for over 90 days.
As an old Gen X, I like to look at the whole route and not just the turn-by-turn.
Some people rely on GPS more than others, I’m not making a value judgement on that. There are addresses where I couldn’t tell you directions even though I’ve been there multiple times – I know some people in crescent-heavy developments where I cannot find their house without GPS even though I’ve known them for years.
And hell, the guy I know who was the absolute worst for that was either Gen X or “elder millennial”, it’s not really an age thing.
But, you know, lots of people just aren’t using GPS every trip, it’s an impressively stupid idea to use that for turn signals.
Is this just Tesla throwing shade on BMW?
I am in the minority with this opinion, but I actually don’t mind the steering wheel buttons. I’ve driven a stalkless Model 3 on a few occasions and it wasn’t much different from driving an older Model 3. It took me about a minute to get used to. I also didn’t mind using the touch screen for shifting.
I’m not saying getting rid of stalks made the cars better, but I don’t think it made them substantially worse. I’m curious how many people who criticize Tesla controls have actually driven one. Aside from having to open the glove box using the touchscreen (which is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen), they are fairly intuitive.
“NO STALKS WAS THR BEST EVER!1!” said no regular driver.
This only controls turn signals. No quick flash of the high beams allowed. Also bring back the gear shift stalk. Lining up a trailer is so much easier. Or, say, turning into a tight space. Up to reverse and down for forward just works.
So, what you’re telling us is that Elon has returned to stalking. How is this news?
Eh, we’ve all done it one time or another, I still say Charles Kuralt dug up my garden
Shouldn’t have planted your garden right on the road.
Yeah, that was Jack Kerou-wack
Kuralt did a popular segment on CBS news called “On the Road” for over 20 years, beginning in 1967. Basically, human interest stories from the backroads of America. No doubt, the title was inspired by Kerouac.
Oh, I know 🙂 The implication was that building one’s garden on the road was a wack thing to do.
Happily the title really tied the comments together
I’m so ashamed.
Nah, don’t be. 🙂
Stuff that sounds funny in my head a) might not actually be funny and b) even if it is, the funny might not make it to the page
Right there with you.
“Ahem Boomers.” That little dweeb drives me stalk raving mad.
I believe that was the underwear band going up and over the head and worn like a sweatband.
I just remind myself that one day they’ll be forced to change my diapers.
That makes sense: there can be only one.
I’m pro-stalk. A stalker, if you will.
“You can override on touchscreen”
What’s bad is I can’t quite guess if he meant “There will be turn signal buttons on the touchscreen” or “You can use the touchscreen to configure the car to use some physical turn signal buttons on the wheel or whatever instead of letting the computer predict your upcoming turns”
Either seems equally likely.
BMW and Harley both eliminated the traditional turn signal switch used on most other motorcycles.
I know I’d be able to get accustomed to it, it just drives me a little batty to think that of all the brands around the world who use the same little switch in the same position that operates (more or less) the same – they’ve felt the need to reinvent it.
If it truly was better, all motorcycles would have the independent buttons like a BMW. But I think the two brands are using it to further entrench themselves and discourage people from jumping from one brand to another by keeping theirs “different”.
I think the Harley/BMW turn signal buttons are genuinely superior to the traditional motorcycle turn signal switch. The buttons are larger and much easier to use, particularly when you are wearing gloves. The old switch was better when you had to manually cancel your signal after turning, but with self-cancelling turn signals the buttons are superior.
I currently own a Harley and a Honda and, despite having ridden motorcycles with the old style switch for 20+ years, I find the Harley’s turn signals much more intuitive.
I think that, in time, all motorcycles will adopt the buttons over the old switch. Unlike Tesla’s buttons which were presumably designed to reduce production costs, the Harley/BMW buttons actually are an improvement.
Can we talk about Honda’s need to put the horn and turn signals in the wrong places?
How? The switch just needs to get flicked left/right or pushed in. I’ve ridden in low 20F weather with bulky insulated gloves, and I’ve never once thought a traditional turn signal switch was hard to operate because it’s function is so basic. It’s not some sort of device that requires fine control; you just mash it left or right and the just smash it inwards when you are done.
I don’t hate the Harley/BMW system, though, I have had fast corners where you are giving it a decent amount of throttle result in some (minor) awkward hand position to get your thumb to reach. It also takes a few corners to remember the switch is weird, but that only exists if you aren’t a regular Harley/BMW rider.
The biggest upgrade is self-cancelling turn signals. I wish my bike had those…
good move, bring back the stalks.
Usually, the more stalks the better unless a stalk takes on more than one function.
wiper stalks with integrated cruise control? horrible.
but a dedicated mini stalk for cruise control – that’s the way cruise control was meant to be. sadly these used to be on all toyotas but I haven’t seen one now that adaptive cruise is everywhere.
we seem to have settled on 2 stalks and ever increasing steering wheel buttons, and I think this is a big problem and also a step backwards. if you regularly drive more than one car, learning the position of the steering wheel buttons is next to impossible.
The main advantage to all stalks is that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to use them. This is almost never the case with steering wheel buttons. and with steering wheel buttons (unlike buttons on the dash), the windshield is completely out of your field of view when looking down at them. with all of the automotive safety regulation, i’m very surprised that this hasn’t been addressed. i’m not suggesting a regulation here but wow, low hanging fruit.
Stalkcumcised! Grade-A Torch.
Good. It’s a start.
Tesla defenders have got to be the largest group of people afflicted with Stockholm Syndrome in recorded history.
Insert topical joke about politicians here.
Stalkholm Syndrome?
We’re selling fewer cars and our carbon credits racket is about the be decimated. How do we boost profits?
“Introducing the UniSeat! Multiple seats in your Tesla vehicle is sooo 20th century and you should feel ashamed for wanting them. Mo’ seats, mo’ problems, amirite? You’ll thank us for only providing one! Now, for you boomers and pedos who must have multiple seats in your vehicle we will begrudgingly provide the MultiSeat Retrofit for the low price of $3999, or available as a convenient subscription for $39.99/month!”
The answer is probably “LLM Ai-Driven Agentic Optimus Robotaxi sales solution will boost future profits 1000x”