In the near future, the Tesla Model 3 and the Tesla Model Y will no longer have a shifter and turn signal, reflecting the change they made with the 2021 Model S and Model X update. The leak was made by Chris Zheng who in the past revealed information that turned out to be true about the company’s future plans.
Everything will be based on touch buttons. In the case of turn signals to indicate lane changes, they will be on the steering wheel. In the case of gear shifting, it should be located on the vehicle’s touch screen, on a vertical strip on the left edge of the GUI.
With this change, the Tesla Model 3 and the Tesla Model Y would also debut an automatic gearshift function. The vehicle, which uses machine vision and the destination shown on the map, is smart enough to pick the right gear when you’re about to drive off. Elon Musk advanced in 2021 that the latter would be offered to all cars equipped with the complete autonomous driving package. What won’t come is the steering wheel yoke. They will keep the traditional flyers.
In fact, in the past we’ve seen circular-shaped Tesla steering wheels with tactile buttons. It appeared in a leaked video several months ago, although it was a test Model S Plaid.The Tesla Model S does not have paddle shifters. The indicators are controlled from the steering wheel and the gears from the central screen.
Tesla has been working on removing paddle shifters for years
You’re here has been working for a few years on the removal of levers for turn signals or gear changes. In 2020, they patented a steering wheel with haptic-feedback tactile buttons, like trackpads on MacBooks and many other laptops. These have no physical movement, but simulate the feeling of pressing a button.
Although the final version of the steering wheel with haptic feedback buttons on the Model S and the Model X does not look like the graphic in the patent, if it complies with Tesla’s proposals for a different system for certain aspects of driving.
According to Chris Zheng’s leak, the change will come with the 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y. But according to information from Driving Tesla Canada if this happens, the change may occur at a later date.
Whenever a Tesla’s leverless drive system arrives, it will be as controversial as the debut of the steering wheel. yoke on the Model S and Model X. Opinions will be divided on the effectiveness of this alternative, but it has two important advantages.
The first is that, as time passes, Tesla may optimize and improve the on-screen shift system GUI. And this will always be a plus for the owner.
The second is the reduction of mechanical parts inside the vehicle, which inevitably tend to wear out. The fewer moving physical components in a hardware system, the better, as they last much longer, require less maintenance, and their behavior can be changed by means of a software update.