Remember when Tesla swept away the traditional turn signal stalk on the Model 3 “Highland” and replaced it with buttons and screen-based controls? Turns out, not everyone was a fan.
With the launch of the redesigned Model Y in January, Tesla brought back the left turn signal stalk, so we expected most models to adopt it eventually. We’re now seeing this happen with the Model 3, where Tesla is adding back the left stalk in China.
Earlier this year, Lars Moravy admitted in an interview that Tesla had maybe “deleted too much” with the Model 3 redesign, hinting at its return.
2023 Design Change & Backlash
When the refreshed Model 3 landed in 2023, the familiar stalks were gone. Instead, you used buttons on the steering wheel and the touchscreen to signal and change gears. While the gear change was less controversial, the turn signal change was less liked.
While many drivers don't mind or straight out enjoy the turn signal redesign after getting used to it, it could be seen as a negative when someone is deciding on a new vehicle. To potentially avoid losing out on sales, Tesla is bringing back the turn signal stalk; however, it’s not exactly the same as it was before.
Not the Same Turn Signal Stalk
While Tesla is adding the left turn signal stalk to the Model 3, it doesn’t have all the functions of the previous, more capable stalks.
If you’re familiar with the stalk on the new Model Y, it’s the same one. The stalk can simply be moved up and down, and there are no short or long presses, which honestly isn’t needed thanks to Tesla’s fantastic auto-canceling turn signals. The stalks also don’t feature the wiper button at the end, which is used to activate the windshield wiper and spray windshield wiper fluid onto the window.
Also gone is the ability to press the stalk toward you or away from you to activate the vehicle’s high beams. With auto high beams having been improved over the last few years, this isn’t a huge deal, and high beams can still be activated manually with the steering wheel button.
Other Regions and Models
It appears that Tesla is launching a lot of new products and changes in China first nowadays and this is just another one. We expect this to come to the Model 3 in other regions soon as well.
While this should arrive soon for the Model 3 in other countries, the question becomes whether it’ll be added to other models as well. Normally, we’d say yes, as Tesla wants to keep their lineup consistent; however, the Model S and Model X haven’t been receiving much attention recently, evidenced by the small refresh earlier this year. Honestly, we’re not sure whether it’ll be added to those vehicles any time soon.
The Cybertruck, on the other hand, is the only vehicle where the turn signal on the steering wheel makes sense due to the steer-by-wire feature. We know Tesla changed their view on the turn signal buttons on the steering wheel, but do they think it’s only beneficial on steer-by-wire vehicles? If so, then we’re unlikely to see it added to the Cybertruck.
For folks who love the turn signal stalk, you may want to wait a little bit before placing that order for the new Model 3.
