The recent Tesla Model S Plaid’s steering yoke has sparked a lot of discussion. The steering yoke, which is seen by some experts as a glaring weakness in an otherwise perfect vehicle, has received significant criticism. Tesla has now begun releasing updates to the steering yoke in order to make it simpler to use.
Tesla updated the Model S’ steering yoke with update 2021.36. With the improvements implemented, the new Model S’s turn signals will now automatically cease operation after a maneuver is completed. When activated, the windshield washers are controlled by pressing and holding the “high beams” button on your touchscreen. These modifications are outlined in Tesla’s Release Notes for Update 2021.36
“Your turn signals will now automatically turn off when the vehicle detects a merge, fork or lane change maneuver has been completed. If an upcoming navigation event is detected in the direction of the turn signal, or if the vehicle detects a subsequent lane change, the turn signal will not turn off until the maneuver is complete. Turn signals will always latch when pressed. Additionally, you can now press and hold to latch high beam, and to activate the windshield washer.
“Note: Turn signals will cancel based on steering angle regardless of the selected setting for Automatic turn signals.”
It’s possible that Tesla is already testing these improvements to the new Model S’ steering yoke, which would go a long way toward making the top-of-the-line sedan more user friendly. After all, it was undoubtedly one of the factors why the top vehicles were designed with no turn stalks or physical shift buttons, which shows that Tesla intended for convenience and automation when designing them. This implies that if Tesla can make its automated features work better in everyday use, the user experience of the Model S and X will be based on how well Tesla optimizes them for regular use.
Tesla’s 2021.36 release also included cold-weather enhancements such as one that allows cars to automatically change their windshield wiper wash sequence to match the vehicle’s moving speed, ensuring that salt and grime are removed effectively. Battery preconditioning systems were also updated to prepare cars for a Supercharging session better. Autopark has been enhanced to identify perpendicular parking spots, and Bioweapon Defense Mode may now be triggered through the Tesla mobile app, too.
