Funky features on Tesla's Cybertruck
With a bulletproof body and 500-mile battery-powered range, Tesla's electric pickup isn't like every other truck.
Tesla is reinventing its wheels. Its steering wheels, that is.
The automaker’s updated Model S and Model X unveiled on Wednesday feature all-new interior designs with rectangular steering wheels that look more like airplane yokes than what’s typically found in a road car.
(Tesla)
They are also similar to what some racing cars use, not to mention the ultimate self-driving car: K.I.T.T. from the "Knight Rider" TV show. Tesla had previously incorporated into the design of its Cybertruck and Roadster prototypes.
David Hasselhoff's personal K.I.T.T. replica featured the unusual steering wheel. (Live Auctioneers)
Elon Musk didn’t comment on the functionality of the "wheel" during Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings call, but he did suggest that the cars would be capable of fully autonomous driving by the end of 2021, which would render them redundant. It’s yet to be seen if that comes to pass, of course.
(Tesla)
The Model S shouldn't have much trouble passing other cars, however, especially the new top of the line Plaid version heading to showrooms in February. It has a 1,020 horsepower tri-motor powertrain and can accelerate to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds on its way to a top speed of 200 mph, according to Tesla. Musk said the all-wheel-drive sedan can reach 155 mph within a quarter-mile.
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Pricing for the Model S Plaid starts at $119,990 for one with a 390-mile range, while a Plaid+ that can go 520 miles per charge and is even quicker with 1,100 hp will be added to the lineup later this year for $139,990. The entry-level Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive gets a price bump from the previous $69,420 to $79,990 and has a range of 412 miles.
(Tesla)
The Model X won’t be offered in Plaid+, but otherwise gets the same drivetrain upgrades as the Model S, with prices listed at $89,990 for a Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive and $119,990 for a Plaid.
(Tesla)
Both vehicles also feature new, rear-seat entertainment systems, landscape-oriented central infotainment screens and, small digital instrument cluster displays, unlike the Model 3 and Model Y which don’t have anything on the dashboard behind their round steering wheels.