Watch Refreshed Tesla Model S Plaid Make Moves In The Snow

No yoke yet.

By: Michael Cantu

Feb 20, 2021 at 9:41am ET

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It's that time of the year again when automakers love showing off their latest and greatest in the snow during winter testing. Apparently, Tesla isn't any different. This time they got the upcoming Tesla Model S Plaid having fun in the icy stuff.

The teaser video Tesla posted is just six seconds long and wouldn't be that interesting if it wasn't for the round steering wheel that's clearly seen at the start of the video. If you've been following our stories on the refreshed Model S Plaid, then you know all about the yoke steering wheel that Tesla has displayed all over the Model S information and order sites.

This is the second Model S Plaid we've seen with a round steering wheel. The first was a preproduction prototype sitting at a Tesla Service center in Ohio.

When the initial Plaid deliveries start hitting customer driveways (they will start next month), it will have a round steering wheel. The yoke steering wheel has to be approved by the NHTSA first before it can be legally used. If you're a fan of the yoke steering wheel, the NHTSA is likely looking into it. Europeans could get it before Americans because it's legal in much of the continent.

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The yoke steering wheel made its debut when Tesla announced they were updating the Model S and Model X last month. In addition to the yoke, other interior and powertrain upgrades were announced including the removal of steering wheel stalks, a horizontal screen, and the tri-motor Plaid and Plaid+ models. We reported on the full list of upgrades here. The round steering wheel above was once hidden from sight on Tesla's order site.

If the yoke steering wheel is approved by the feds, it will likely be an optional feature. The upcoming Tesla Roadster is currently pictured with a yoke as well, but it makes some sense in that application because Elon Musk hopes to make it hover and drive at the same time.