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Last Updated on: 21st August 2025, 03:13 am
Okay, yes, the bigger news from Tesla is that it has launched a new version of the Model Y in China, a slightly longer 6-seat version called the Model Y L. It’s very much a “China model,” designed for the Chinese market since the market 1) is huge, especially for electric vehicles, and 2) has many buyers that plan to sit in the back seat of their cars and be transported around. The Model Y L starts at just around $47,000 there, but also keep in mind that EVs are generally much cheaper in China. What has disappointed many Tesla fans and shareholders is the Model Y L may never come to the USA, and the earliest it would come if it does is late 2026, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. (Funny enough, despite so many other issues at Tesla, this seems to have led to a drop in the stock price.) But we already published a good piece on the Model Y L — or two of them — a month ago, so let’s get to the more interesting, or at least more fun and entertaining, story.
So, as you all probably know, when Tesla launched a refreshed version of the Model 3 a couple of years ago, it came without turn-signal stalks. There were buttons put on the steering wheel to activate turn signals, but the traditional stalk for this was eliminated. Naturally, since people have been driving using turn signals stalks for their whole lives, this felt very strange and unnatural, and many people wouldn’t even consider buying a car without a turn signal stalk. Elon Musk contended that no one would need turn signal stalks soon since Tesla cars would be able to drive themselves, and that it’s not hard to get used to using buttons anyway. However, people are used to their stalks and want their stalks. You can also tell people that they can put ice cream on bread or rice cakes and eat it like that, but people are used to ice cream cones and that’s what they want.
Musk was very stubborn about this every time it came up, but apparently customers can be even more stubborn — or at least annoying. Or perhaps Tesla just has enough of a consumer demand issue that it’ll do more and more things to try to appeal to buyers. (Also, keep in mind that Tesla customer cars still can’t drive themselves unsupervised.) Whatever the reason, you can now/again get a turn signal stalk on retrofitted onto your Tesla Model 3 if you bought a model without one. There are just two conditions. First of all, you have to be buying the car in China. (For now, at least, this is only an option in China.) Secondly, you’ve got to pay extra for it. Yes, if you want a turn signal stalk on your car, you have to pay extra for it. Don’t laugh. It costs RMB 2,499 (~$350).
New versions of the Model 3 — all versions — again come with the turn signal stalk by default. So, at least it’s not an add-on on a new vehicle.
It may just be that the Chinese government is now requiring this basic instrument. Perhaps it’s not a consumer demand issue at all. Either way, though, the important point is that you no longer have to worry (in China) about your Model 3 not coming with a turn signal stalk. The Model Y, by the way, has come with a turn signal stalk the whole time. The refreshed version of the Model Y didn’t eliminate the stalk.
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