Tesla doesn’t really do mea culpas, so it has quietly added indicator stalks to all Model 3 sedans available in China.
The stalks are now listed as standard on all Model 3 variants available in China. They can also be added to existing facelifted Model 3 vehicles, but owners will need to pony up ¥2499 (A$535) for the privilege and have the retrofit done a Tesla service centre.
Retrofitting stalks can only be done on cars built after February 7, 2025. The option to add stalks to facelifted cars built before this date will be “available later”.
Tesla didn’t issue a statement about the update, with the change quietly appearing on the company’s website in China.
Debuting in 2023, the facelifted Model 3 — known internally as ‘Highland’ — brought a bunch of visual changes to the car, including new front- and rear-end designs.
There was also a revamped interior that controversially binned the indicator and gear selector stalks. The former was replaced by a pair of vertically stacked buttons on the steering wheel spokes, while the latter moved to a slider on the touchscreen.
After plenty of complaints online by reviewers and owners, Tesla has now reversed course on the indicator.
It should be noted the closely related Model Y skipped the whole the indicator stalk kerfuffle completely because its facelift, which was introduced last year, had an indicator stalk from the get-go.
While the Model 3 indicator stalk has yet to appear on other countries’ Tesla websites, it’s likely the change will eventually filter through to other markets. Given all Australia-bound Model 3s are built in the company’s Shanghai plant, it’s possible we’ll receive the change soon enough.
MORE: Everything Tesla Model 3