A Tesla Model S Mystery

[Mother Frunker]

This is very odd. And the Tesla employees that I have talked to all agree and have no explanation:

All of the new refreshed Model S's taut are shipping are shipping with the integrated middle console but it DOES NOT INCLUDE REAR CUPHOLDERS.

All of the new integrated center consoles that are being retrofitted INCLUDE REAR CUPHOLDERS.

This is going to be a big problem for them as I can see many people requesting the console that comes with the car be removed so they can add the retrofitted one with rear cup holders.

 

[jelloslug]

From what I understand Tesla is using up all the consoles that did not have the cupholders first and then will be making a running change to ones with the cupholders. Now that people are receiving retrofit consoles with the cupholders I would assume that new cars are being made with cupholders also.

 

[jmsurpri]

This explanation doesn't seem right to me. Makes Tesla look like bumbling fools. Why would they make a decision to design a console without rear cupholders at all? They already had the MX design with cupholders. I wonder if their supplier goofed up and mistakenly made a batch of consoles without cupholders and Tesla decided to install them anyway. I hope that's not the case, but I wonder..

 

[commasign]

No need to panic. Tesla will likely offer the rear cup holder piece as a retrofit for new Model S with the integrated console without rear cup holder. I don't think you'd have to tear out the entire integrated console to make it happen.

 

[CO2Dutch]

My MS is two weeks old and it has the cup holders on the front portion of the center console. I have the carbon fiber trim. Maybe they have that trim with the console cup holder... Should my car have cup holders on the back of the console?

 

[jelloslug]

This explanation doesn't seem right to me. Makes Tesla look like bumbling fools. Why would they make a decision to design a console without rear cupholders at all? They already had the MX design with cupholders. I wonder if their supplier goofed up and mistakenly made a batch of consoles without cupholders and Tesla decided to install them anyway. I hope that's not the case, but I wonder..

Who knows? Maybe the design for the non-cupholder version was locked and the process for making the molds for the plastic parts was done months and months ago. Maybe the rear cupholder were planned as a "upgrade" to go in the Premium Upgrade Package, there are tons of reasons why...

 

[jelloslug]

My MS is two weeks old and it has the cup holders on the front portion of the center console. I have the carbon fiber trim. Maybe they have that trim with the console cup holder... Should my car have cup holders on the back of the console?

In theory it could but there has never been a Model S that came from the factory with them Tesla has never stated that the cars will come with them. If mine does not have them when it is built I am going to see if I can order the parts and retrofit them myself.

 

[zambono]

This has been spoken of many times, S's with center console have been delivered for months now without the rear cup holders. The rear cupholders are available in the online store center console for about a month or so but have yet to appear in any model S's from factory. Someday they will, just like someday there will be rear USB ports.

 

[ecarfan]

This is very odd. And the Tesla employees that I have talked to all agree and have no explanation:

All of the new refreshed Model S's taut are shipping are shipping with the integrated middle console but it DOES NOT INCLUDE REAR CUPHOLDERS.

Not odd to me. Tesla has not yet shipped any S cars with rear cup holders. They will, eventually...

 

[RogerHScott]

Why would they make a decision to design a console without rear cupholders at all?

Because not everyone wants junk-collecting, sticky-beverage-consumption-encouragers in their back seat?

 

[Max*]

Because not everyone wants junk-collecting, sticky-beverage-consumption-encouragers in their back seat?

Ah, you must have never heard of the over-priced water bottles that are now being sold in the 21rst century!

 

[RogerHScott]

Ah, you must have never heard of the over-priced water bottles that are now being sold in the 21rst century!

Offer me cup holders that can only hold water bottles and we'll talk

 

[Patrick W]

I'm pretty sure this counts as a classic First World Problem.

 

[Fiver]

Offer me cup holders that can only hold water bottles and we'll talk

Water? Like out of a toilet?

 

[wdolson]

This explanation doesn't seem right to me. Makes Tesla look like bumbling fools. Why would they make a decision to design a console without rear cupholders at all? They already had the MX design with cupholders. I wonder if their supplier goofed up and mistakenly made a batch of consoles without cupholders and Tesla decided to install them anyway. I hope that's not the case, but I wonder..

The MS console design predates the MX by a couple of years. It was only available as an add-on until earlier this year when it was made standard. The MX console is very similar to the MS but with the rear cup holders integrated. When Tesla started including the console for free (they didn't raise the price of the car at all when they started including it), they initially had no console in the store for a while but then started offering the MX console for the S about 6 weeks ago.

The have a stock of the old MS consoles they are burning through. When they use them up, newly produced MSs will get the MX console. They may raise the price of the car at that point, or they may not.

This is standard practice for Tesla. They aren't bumbling fools if you understand how their production inventory system work. Should they just throw away the consoles they have in stock and go with the new ones? They can't be wasting any money right now.

My MS is two weeks old and it has the cup holders on the front portion of the center console. I have the carbon fiber trim. Maybe they have that trim with the console cup holder... Should my car have cup holders on the back of the console?

Not really. The discussion is about the pop out cup holders that are in the back of the console under the back seat air vents on the MX and the Tesla store MS console, but currently not on production MSs. All the Tesla consoles have removable cup holders in the front inside the main compartment.

 

[ArtInCT]

I have just had the new integrated center console (ICC) installed by my service center. This part number and that of the optional iPhone docking system are the same as the Model X center console. In fact the docking station actually said Model X as part of the description on the box. So the ICC is the same as the Model X in every way, for the most part. The new ICC is a very nice piece of gear for those who had the older pre-noselift Model S. The existing center armrest pads and trim are removed from the existing armrest area and are move to the new ICC.

As far as the ICC being a problem for Tesla... not so. This is intended for pre nose lift model S cars. Of course, I suppose that those with the current standard center console who want rear cup holders could order the new ICC. But frankly, that would be a very steep price to pay for rear cup holders.... probably more economical to order the rear seat center console in the trim you want. It comes with two rear cup holders AND a hidden storage compartment. If you talked to Tesla employees, I am very surprised that they did not suggest this to you. It is a much better option unless you shlep around 5 folks all the time.

I suspect, that at some time in the future, an interior makeover will happen to the Model S. With in door cubby storage, and the new ICC as standard and perhaps some other items, as well. Time will tell.

 

[wdolson]

I don't know if the X's front doors are taller than the S or not, but eyeballing them, the interior panel looks to be the same size and shape on both. If they actually are the same form factor, then I'm sure the S will get door cubby holes when Tesla runs out of old S door panels.

 

[jelloslug]

The MS console design predates the MX by a couple of years. It was only available as an add-on until earlier this year when it was made standard. The MX console is very similar to the MS but with the rear cup holders integrated. When Tesla started including the console for free (they didn't raise the price of the car at all when they started including it), they initially had no console in the store for a while but then started offering the MX console for the S about 6 weeks ago.

The have a stock of the old MS consoles they are burning through. When they use them up, newly produced MSs will get the MX console. They may raise the price of the car at that point, or they may not.

This is standard practice for Tesla. They aren't bumbling fools if you understand how their production inventory system work. Should they just throw away the consoles they have in stock and go with the new ones? They can't be wasting any money right now.



Not really. The discussion is about the pop out cup holders that are in the back of the console under the back seat air vents on the MX and the Tesla store MS console, but currently not on production MSs. All the Tesla consoles have removable cup holders in the front inside the main compartment.

The old add-on console and the current console are nothing alike.

 

[ArtInCT]

The old add-on console and the current console are nothing alike.

You are correct, the drop in console and the new ICC are vastly different. The older drop in Tesla Console is no longer sold by Tesla Gear.

 

[buckerine]

Manufacturers have to buy in bulk from their suppliers to get the best rates. So Tesla, as others have mentioned, is pretty obviously just clearing out its old inventory before it moves to the new ones. Makes sense that many of the components in the X and S are interchangeable. We'll probably see the X seats in the S and even the X door panels in the S soon. Yet another reason I've pushed delivery to March of next year.