TL;DR: Initially I was confused about the wood dash but now I "get it" because I am unapologetically in love with this car.
First off, let me preface this by saying I am not an eco-hippy. Buying the Model 3 is about as eco-conscious of a thing I’ve ever done (after composting, which is mandatory in our city anyway). And the purchase was largely for practical reasons rather than environmental ones. Don’t get me wrong, I like our planet, and I have a tremendous appreciation for nature and the outdoors without being an “outdoorsy type.” But I’ve never really been one to fly the flag of environmental causes.
The wood dash always struck me as weird. I am a fairly experienced hobby woodworker, and thus probably have more appreciation for the veneer than most people, but even then I found raw veneer to be a curious choice. I didn’t like it, I didn’t hate it, I just accepted it. As a woodworker I wondered if I ought to finish it properly for protection. I thought about perhaps covering it up with vinyl or carbon fiber or what have you. I wondered what exactly Tesla was going for with this very peculiar choice; surely the suits in marketing would have said customers would prefer the softness of alcanterra or the sleek modern feel of carbon fiber, brushed aluminum, etc. They’ve already replaced the photo of the interior on the Model 3 website. It was a retro vibe that I didn’t love nor hate.
After several months of looking at the wood sideways every time I’m in the car, I have developed a great, possibly even profound, appreciation for what it’s doing there.
I’ve traditionally hated wood in cars. You know - we took this rare, expensive exotic wood, doused it with 80 coats of epoxy so it looks like plastic, and slathered it all over your car so you feel wealthy and pampered and powerful and whatever else that ebony burl makes you feel. In Model 3, the wood looks and feels like wood. What a concept!
As much as the Model X was about hubris and “look what we can do” taking the spotlight, the minimalist Model 3 is about humility (from a design perspective). Even with all of the technological marvels in this vehicle, front and center is a very deliberate reminder of why this car was conceived of in the first place. An appreciation of the natural beauty and vitality of this planet that this vehicle is a small but significant part of saving. Tech and nature can coexist. Even as we propel ourselves hither tither in these glorious missiles of glass, metal, plastic, and rubber, there is a conscious effort not to omit the natural when it would have been easy to do so. Aesthetically and practically, I can think of better materials, and I can understand when people say the wood looks out of place. Philosophically, the choice does this car justice.
First off, let me preface this by saying I am not an eco-hippy. Buying the Model 3 is about as eco-conscious of a thing I’ve ever done (after composting, which is mandatory in our city anyway). And the purchase was largely for practical reasons rather than environmental ones. Don’t get me wrong, I like our planet, and I have a tremendous appreciation for nature and the outdoors without being an “outdoorsy type.” But I’ve never really been one to fly the flag of environmental causes.
The wood dash always struck me as weird. I am a fairly experienced hobby woodworker, and thus probably have more appreciation for the veneer than most people, but even then I found raw veneer to be a curious choice. I didn’t like it, I didn’t hate it, I just accepted it. As a woodworker I wondered if I ought to finish it properly for protection. I thought about perhaps covering it up with vinyl or carbon fiber or what have you. I wondered what exactly Tesla was going for with this very peculiar choice; surely the suits in marketing would have said customers would prefer the softness of alcanterra or the sleek modern feel of carbon fiber, brushed aluminum, etc. They’ve already replaced the photo of the interior on the Model 3 website. It was a retro vibe that I didn’t love nor hate.
After several months of looking at the wood sideways every time I’m in the car, I have developed a great, possibly even profound, appreciation for what it’s doing there.
I’ve traditionally hated wood in cars. You know - we took this rare, expensive exotic wood, doused it with 80 coats of epoxy so it looks like plastic, and slathered it all over your car so you feel wealthy and pampered and powerful and whatever else that ebony burl makes you feel. In Model 3, the wood looks and feels like wood. What a concept!
As much as the Model X was about hubris and “look what we can do” taking the spotlight, the minimalist Model 3 is about humility (from a design perspective). Even with all of the technological marvels in this vehicle, front and center is a very deliberate reminder of why this car was conceived of in the first place. An appreciation of the natural beauty and vitality of this planet that this vehicle is a small but significant part of saving. Tech and nature can coexist. Even as we propel ourselves hither tither in these glorious missiles of glass, metal, plastic, and rubber, there is a conscious effort not to omit the natural when it would have been easy to do so. Aesthetically and practically, I can think of better materials, and I can understand when people say the wood looks out of place. Philosophically, the choice does this car justice.
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