Tesla to Bring Back Physical Turn Signal Stalks to the Model 3 as Part of a Mid-Cycle Refresh

Tesla is getting ready to bring back the physical turn signal stalk to the Model 3. During the 2023 "Project Highland" refresh, Tesla removed both the turn signal stalk and gear selector stalk from the all-electric sedan.

However, according to Chris Zheng, who has a solid track record of sharing publicly unavailable Tesla information, the company appears to be reversing its decision to eliminate the turn signal stalk from the Model 3.

Chris shared his findings on X, stating…

“The Tesla Model 3 will soon add a turn signal stalk.”

Unfortunately, Chris didn’t reveal any further details about his findings, including precisely when Tesla will be making this mid-cycle change to the all-electric sedan.

However, if Tesla brings back the turn signal stalk on the Model 3, this decision will be in line with the company’s recent design philosophy, particularly regarding its latest vehicle, the refreshed Model Y, which is scheduled to start shipping in the next few weeks.

Rumors suggest that Tesla may bring back the turn signal stalk for the Model 3.

Do you prefer Tesla's stalkless design, or is the new Model Y's single stalk solution the best? https://t.co/abmSGvOUB1 pic.twitter.com/GrGKh5whpH
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 17, 2025

During the latest update, although Tesla removed the gear selector stalk from the new Model Y, the EV maker still kept the turn signal stalk.

Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, and chief engineer, Lars Moravy, discussed Tesla’s reasoning behind this decision.

Talking about the turn signal stalk, Franz says…

“One thing that’s quite nice is we brought back the stalks for the indicators. When you indicate the left turn and the right turn, a camera view comes up on the screen as well.”

Building on Franz’s point, Tesla’s chief engineer Lars says…

“You know, with the stalks, we always say at Tesla, if you aren’t deleting so much that you have to put something back, you haven’t deleted enough. Maybe we deleted too much.”

Tesla began eliminating all physical stalks in 2021, beginning with the Model S and Model X. This choice was carried over to the Model 3 refresh and continued with the Cybertruck, which also features no physical stalks.

However, as Lars and Franz explained, when it finally came time for the Model Y refresh, Tesla designers decided they had gone too far and chose to keep a physical turn signal indicator.

Tesla’s latest decision with the refreshed Model Y gives further credence to Chris’s assertion that the EV maker will soon bring back the turn signal stalk to the Model 3.

Why remove physical buttons?

A lot of people are frustrated with Tesla’s minimalist, no-button approach to interior design.

However, as Elon Musk and Tesla engineers explain, this decision is based on two fundamental beliefs.

First, Musk believes Tesla is on the brink of solving unsupervised level 5 full self-driving; in that context, physical stalks would not be needed because the vehicle would be driving itself.

Also, when designing a potentially fully self-driving vehicle, you must ensure that the computer can carry out all necessary operations without human assistance.

This decision dictates that nothing in the vehicle, including the stalks, brakes, steering, doors, and so forth, can be purely a mechanical component.

The full self-driving computer needs to be able to control all aspects of the vehicle, which means a mechanical button will be a secondary mechanism that will add more complexity to an already software-controlled operation.

Secondly, Tesla designers argue that physical buttons are not visually appealing and can make the vehicle look outdated.

You may agree or disagree with this outlook, but Tesla is evidently reversing its stance on eliminating physical buttons before it achieves full self-driving capabilities.

However, please let me know what you think in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the “Add new comment” button below. Also, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image: Courtesy of Tesla, inc.

For more information, check out: Tesla Cybertruck Owners Call For a Counter-Protest to Show Support for Elon Musk; Say “200 Cybertrucks Surrounding The Anti-Tesla Protestors Will Show Them Who the Majority Is”

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.