Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Heated Steering Wheel

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
I desperately want the heated steering wheel as well. Why is this even a thing on a 58K car? My wife's 35K Mazda has it, all my much older and cheaper BMWs have it, my friends new BMW X3 (55K) has it! I hope the hardware will already be in my car when it arrives in March, but again....why is this even a thing!?
 
  • Funny
Reactions: Keester97
I would be surprised if all 2021 3/Y don't have it turned on in an upcoming update. GreenTheOnly on twitter found mention of a bunch of 2021 M3 refresh stuff late last year and so far everything he has mentioned has come true - except the heated steering wheel.

I gambled on it actually. I have a P3D with March delivery. Thinking it'll be in the first 2021 or V11 update.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TBrownTX
I desperately want the heated steering wheel as well. Why is this even a thing on a 58K car? My wife's 35K Mazda has it, all my much older and cheaper BMWs have it, my friends new BMW X3 (55K) has it! I hope the hardware will already be in my car when it arrives in March, but again....why is this even a thing!?

Maybe because when you can easily pre heat your car from your phone, a heated steering wheel is not nearly as "necessary" as it might be on the rest of those cars (and is just one more thing that would reduce range).

Thats my opinion on why its not there in the first place, and having lived with the car for 2 years now, people who dont have one of these vehicles tend to not underestimate how much getting the cabin to a temperature before you get into it changes the need for something like this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mutant
Maybe because when you can easily pre heat your car from your phone, a heated steering wheel is not nearly as "necessary" as it might be on the rest of those cars (and is just one more thing that would reduce range).

Thats my opinion on why its not there in the first place, and having lived with the car for 2 years now, people who dont have one of these vehicles tend to not underestimate how much getting the cabin to a temperature before you get into it changes the need for something like this.
I just got my M3 in December and was worried about the fact there was no heated steering coming from a BMW 3 series wagon with heated steering wheel. But after having the M3 for the past month in winter, I don't find I miss it that much. The instant heat of an electric vehicle and the ability to pre-heat the cabin (which also pre-conditions the battery for max regen) mitigates the need for a heated steering wheel as compared to an ICE vehicle. The vent placement with no instrument cluster also ensures almost direct heat on hands/wheel. The only time I would appreciate the direct heat of a heated steering is if I was outside in colder temperatures for an extended period and want to recover the feeling in my hands as quickly as possible.
 
Believe the reason Tesla does not have a heated steering wheel is because them make their own steering wheels, and it takes them some time to engineer and build them.

Legacy auto makers do not make their own steering wheels. They simply buy them from their supplier. If they want to include a heated steering wheel, they just spec that when they are making their orders.

Tesla often just included the essentials at first, and wants to keep initial volume ramp up as simple as possible. Later on they tend to add nicieties as they become ready for production. (Items like tow packages, consoles, door pockets, heated steering wheels, improved interiors, better panel gaps, seem to come along later.)

Tesla has a process of continous improvement. Seem to make changes on the fly as they get developed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gasaraki
So my car has the heated steering wheel but I only see how to turn it off and on through the app. Does anyone know where it is on the tablet screen?
Open the HVAC controls. Switch to the heated seats tab. You should see an icon to turn on and off the heated steering wheel.
B579D27C-4DF8-4044-AE27-B05D00C6BDD3.jpeg
 
I desperately want the heated steering wheel as well. Why is this even a thing on a 58K car? My wife's 35K Mazda has it, all my much older and cheaper BMWs have it, my friends new BMW X3 (55K) has it! I hope the hardware will already be in my car when it arrives in March, but again....why is this even a thing!?
Not sure about others, but for me, I don't need to pay for something I don't need. I never had it nor needed it in central California, but now that I am up here, I got it for the MX.
 
Maybe because when you can easily pre heat your car from your phone, a heated steering wheel is not nearly as "necessary" as it might be on the rest of those cars (and is just one more thing that would reduce range).

Thats my opinion on why its not there in the first place, and having lived with the car for 2 years now, people who dont have one of these vehicles tend to not underestimate how much getting the cabin to a temperature before you get into it changes the need for something like this.

As I said in one of my later posts....You are are from CA, trying to tell people who live in a colder climate why it's not a big deal :D. It's a 1st world problem for sure! Picking up my car in just over a week. Still hoping for the heated wheel! Sure you can pre-condition, but that's bound to use way more energy than just heating the wheel. Plugged in at home, in the garage, no problem. If the car sits outside for 12 hours in 25 degree weather....problem!
 
As I said in one of my later posts....You are are from CA, trying to tell people who live in a colder climate why it's not a big deal :D. It's a 1st world problem for sure! Picking up my car in just over a week. Still hoping for the heated wheel! Sure you can pre-condition, but that's bound to use way more energy than just heating the wheel. Plugged in at home, in the garage, no problem. If the car sits outside for 12 hours in 25 degree weather....problem!

You wont be "heating just the steering wheel" unless you cant get used to the fact that you can pre condition the entire car. No one would want just their hands to be warm if they could have the entire cabin be warm. There are plenty of people from cold climates who have also posted that, after owning the car and seeing what its like to be able to pre condition the entire cabin, they find its not a big deal if the steering wheel itself isnt pre conditioned.

If your car "sits outside for 12 hours in 25 degree weather" you are almost assuredly going to pre condition the CABIN before you get into it, or you should.