Tesla didn’t just make a truck that looks like a low-poly video game asset; they completely rethought how you point the thing down the road. Most people see the Cybertruck steering wheel and immediately think of a race car or a spaceship. It's not a circle. It’s a squircle—a rectangular-ish yoke-style hybrid that has sparked more internet arguments than almost any other part of the vehicle.
Honestly, the shape is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you've spent your whole life driving "traditional" cars, your first five minutes behind this wheel will feel like learning to ride a bike again. Except the bike is made of stainless steel and weighs 6,800 pounds. The real magic (or frustration, depending on who you ask) isn't the shape of the rim. It's the "steer-by-wire" system hidden underneath the dashboard. There is no physical shaft connecting that wheel to the tires. None. If you saw the steering column in a 1998 Ford F-150, it was a literal metal pole. In the Cybertruck, it's just sensors and motors sending digital signals.
The Steer-By-Wire Revolution
This is the big one. Most cars use a mechanical link. When you turn the wheel, you are physically moving parts that move the tires. In the Cybertruck, when you turn that weirdly shaped wheel, you're basically just giving a suggestion to a computer.
The computer then decides how much to turn the wheels based on how fast you're going.
This is called a variable steering ratio. At low speeds, like when you’re trying to squeeze into a tight spot at a grocery store, you barely have to move the wheel to get the tires to turn all the way. You don't have to do that "hand-over-hand" shuffle anymore. It’s awesome. But it’s also deeply unsettling the first time you try it because the car feels twitchy. You think you're turning a little, and suddenly the truck is pivoting like a forklift.
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At highway speeds, the system tightens up. It becomes less sensitive so you don't accidentally lane-swap into a semi-truck just because you sneezed. Tesla engineers, including Lars Moravy, have talked extensively about how this system allowed them to make a massive truck feel nimble. Without a mechanical link, they could also shove the dashboard further forward, creating that massive "front porch" dashboard space inside the cabin.
Why no stalks?
Tesla hates stalks. If you're looking for a turn signal lever or a gear shifter, you won't find them near the Cybertruck steering wheel.
Everything is a button.
The turn signals are haptic buttons on the left side of the wheel. The horn is a button. The high beams? Button. Even the windshield wipers are controlled via a button (though the "Auto" setting tries to handle it). People have complained that finding the turn signal while the wheel is turned 180 degrees is a nightmare. They're right. It takes a lot of muscle memory to find the "left" signal when your hands are upside down.
The Physical Design: Squircle vs. Yoke
The original Tesla Yoke, found in the Model S and X, was a disaster for some. It was a literal half-wheel. If you needed to grab the top of the wheel during a slide or a sharp turn, there was nothing there but air.
Tesla learned. Sorta.
The Cybertruck steering wheel is closed at the top. It’s a flat-top, flat-bottom design. It looks cool, sure, but the flat top is actually practical for visibility. You can see the instrument cluster (well, the screen) without the top of a round wheel blocking your line of sight. It’s small, too. It feels more like a gaming peripheral than a heavy-duty truck component.
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But there’s a catch with the materials. Early owners have reported that the "vegan leather" (which is basically fancy plastic) can be prone to scuffing if you're wearing rings or if you have rough hands. It’s a premium-feeling texture, but it’s not as rugged as the exoskeleton it’s wrapped in.
The Controversy of Reliability
Because the system is all electronic, people get worried. What happens if the power goes out? What if the computer glitches while I'm doing 80 mph?
Tesla built in redundancies. There are multiple motors and independent power feeds. It’s similar to how airplanes operate. "Fly-by-wire" has been the standard in aviation for decades. If one motor fails, another takes over. But as we saw with some early recalls and "catastrophic" failures caught on YouTube, no system is perfect. Most of those early issues were related to wire harnesses or software bugs rather than the fundamental concept of steer-by-wire, but it still makes people nervous.
Real World Driving: The Learning Curve
If you get a chance to drive one, ignore the buttons at first. Focus on the weight of the turn.
Because there is no physical connection, you don't get "road feel" in the same way. You won't feel the vibration of gravel or the tug of a pothole through the Cybertruck steering wheel. Tesla simulates some of this with force-feedback motors, much like a high-end Sim Racing setup from Fanatec or Logitech. It feels "clean." Maybe too clean.
- Parking: You only have to turn the wheel about 170 degrees in either direction to hit the "lock." This makes U-turns hilariously easy.
- Towing: This is where it gets interesting. Steering a trailer is usually a game of micro-adjustments. The steer-by-wire system can actually help stabilize the trailer by making tiny corrections faster than a human could.
- Off-roading: Since there’s no kickback, you won't break your thumb if the tire hits a rock and snaps the wheel to the side.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the Cybertruck steering wheel is just a "design choice" to look futuristic. It isn't. It's a functional necessity for the steer-by-wire system. If they used a traditional round wheel with a traditional ratio, you’d be spinning that thing five times just to get out of a driveway because the truck is so long.
Also, despite the rumors, it is not "hard" to use. It's just different. After about three days, your brain re-wires itself. You stop reaching for stalks that aren't there. You stop trying to "palm" the top of a circle that doesn't exist.
Comparisons to the Competition
Ford and Rivian have stayed away from this for now. The F-150 Lightning uses a big, chunky, old-school round wheel. It feels like a truck. The Rivian R1T is somewhere in the middle—modern, but familiar. Tesla is the only one pushing this "digital" steering feel, and it’s a polarizing move.
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Is it better? For maneuverability, yes. For soul and connection to the road? Probably not.
Maintenance and Long-Term Care
You can't just take this to any local mechanic. If the steering feels "off," it’s likely a sensor calibration issue.
- Keep the haptic buttons clean. Body oils and dirt can make them less responsive over time. A simple microfiber cloth and some mild interior cleaner do the trick.
- Watch for software updates. Tesla frequently tweaks the steering "weight" and "ratio" through over-the-air updates. Your truck might literally steer differently on Tuesday than it did on Monday.
- Don't use a steering wheel cover. Most covers are designed for round wheels and will interfere with the touch-sensitive buttons on the Cybertruck's yoke-style rim.
Actionable Steps for New Owners
If you just took delivery or are sitting on a reservation, do yourself a favor: go to an empty parking lot.
Spend twenty minutes doing figure-eights. Practice hitting the turn signal buttons without looking down. You need to build that neural pathway where "Turn Left" equals "Thumb Press" rather than "Hand Flick."
Check your steering settings in the menus. You can often adjust the "Comfort" or "Sport" feel, which changes how much resistance the motors give you. Most people prefer "Standard," but if you're coming from a sports car, "Sport" will make the truck feel a bit more grounded.
Lastly, pay attention to the four-wheel steering. The rear wheels turn too, and they work in tandem with the steering wheel. This means the back of the truck "swings" out more than you'd expect. Watch those curbs. The steering wheel makes the front easy to manage, but the digital brain is moving the back of the truck in ways your old Silverado never could.
Stay aware of the tech, respect the learning curve, and don't panic when the wheel doesn't spin as much as you think it should. It’s a computer on wheels, and you're just the operator.