Auto industry: Tesla is doing away with the turn signal lever

Reaching for the turn signal lever is so natural to drivers that they don’t even have to think about it. But if you’re driving the new Tesla Model 3, you’re in the clear. With the modification under the Highland name, Tesla has deleted the lever. The turn signal is now activated via two buttons on the left side of the steering wheel, which are separated from the rim and can therefore theoretically be activated blindly. That works – until you have to get out of the loop. Then, even after hundreds of kilometers in Model 3, you look at the steering wheel when you should be paying attention to traffic.

This represents a trend that goes beyond Tesla and reverses the signal stalks. Car manufacturers save on controls – sometimes at the expense of safety.

Tesla’s driving concept has always been special. It has almost no physical elements. In addition to the indicator lever on the left side of the steering wheel and the one on the right for gear selection and automatic transmission, the first line of the luxury S sedan model had only a touch screen on the central console which was, from the point of view. of that time, great. Everything from indoor temperature to music can be adjusted here. There were only two physical pressure switches – one for the hazard lights and one to open the glove compartment.

The levers inside the steering wheel were still available in the Model S. However, they were discontinued in 2022. Due to the small number, the public did not notice. This aspect was covered by a discussion about the steering wheel itself, which, if desired, was like in the TV series. Knight Rider Issued without continuous wreath and from Tesla Yoke (English for yoke).

Except Yokesteering wheel, the much-reduced driving concept has now been transferred from the Model S to the popular Model 3. The Model Y SUV, the world’s most recent best-selling vehicle, will also be replaced in 2025.

From circuit controls to signal control

However, the issue is bigger than the operation of the turn signal. “Return the buttons“- return the keys! – claims Matthew Avery price LinkedIn. Avery leads strategy development at EuroNCAP. This is the association that awards up to five stars for car safety.

What Avery means: Physical controls such as buttons, pressure switches or turn signal stickers are gradually disappearing from new cars as more and more functions are controlled via the touch screen. EuroNCAP is not alone in warning that this distracts drivers and increases the risk of accidents. Starting in 2026, this aspect will be considered more in the assessment, Avery announced.

Almost all new cars have a touch screen. In addition, some products have physical volume control, others do not. In most BMWs, the volume can be optionally controlled using gestures. Volkswagens have pools – so-called sliders – through which the temperature of the interior is controlled. Everything is possible, nothing is normal.

Classic car fans like to point to the Citroën CX, where the turn signals were activated via a rocker switch that didn’t turn itself off after pulling the steering wheel back. This begs the question: Don’t people adapt to every design?

It is perfectly fine if there are no identical operating models for all functions, says Florian Hördegen, head of vehicle technology at the ADAC technical center. But studies show that touch operations take an average of two seconds longer than buttons. “We would like there to be direct access to important safety features such as the windshield wiper or ventilation,” says Hördegen.