Uh huh... That leans a bit toward my thought that there may be no steering wheel at all... just a joystick like device. That would certainly cut costs. And there's no reason that it can't work - as long as the safety/legislative issues are resolved. Pilots control highly responsive jet aircraft with joysticks every single day.
But... the risk is that you're going to alienate some of the more traditionalist potential buyers.
While we're at it, let's drop the pedals, too! Accellerate/brake by pushing the stick front/back!
You can easily make fine steering angle adjustments with a wheel that rotates through ~1080 degrees (3 rotations). You'd get 1/10 of that with a joystick. It would be much harder to control with the same level of granularity.
Plus you'd be forcing a major portion of your buyers to drive with their non-dominant hand - lefties (me) in LHD countries, and all the righties in RHD countries.
The flying analogy doesn't really work - I've flown a few (prop) planes with sticks (DA-20 between the legs, SR22 sidestick), and it's completely different. It's hard to explain, but flying a plane is about pointing it in a general direction, not following a specific path on a ribbon of asphalt, while dodging obstacles (cars, pedestrians, etc). If you were driving a car around in an empty parking lot, that'd be one thing. On a busy street?
When you were a kid, did you ever try to ride a bike with your hands crossed (left on right hand grip, right on left)? It was one of those dare things we tried once. You'd get a few feet before crashing. I think a side-stick car would last about as long before someone ran into something.
Of all the possible dealbreakers, a joystick would be huge. 50% cancellation of orders, minimum. It would never fly with the general public (no pun intended).
My thoughts too.
There are many cars with centre mounted instruments with no HUDs.
No HUD is shown in Model 3 prototype, no HUD in the expensive Model S and Model X.
Why would Tesla put a HUD for Model 3 when it is not necessary to do so?
Have you driven a car with center mounted gauges? I have (Mini Cooper), for 8 years. It's one of those things you put up with, you may even get used to it, but no one I've ever spoken with
likes it.
A HUD or steering wheel mounted display is key.