Musings on the wood dash

[ecarfan]

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

I read your well-composed post with interest and generally agree with you, though I am less confident of your conclusion.

Like you, I am deeply impressed with the Model 3 design, inside and out. The only aspect I am puzzled by is the wood dash piece. From the moment I saw it at the Model 3 launch event I’ve never liked it. It seems jarringly out of place to me, and the specific veneer used looks crude to my eyes. Was it chosen to remind us of “the natural beauty and vitality of this planet“? Maybe. I have no visibility into the Tesla design teams choices. The use of wood in cars likely goes back to very early automobiles having evolved from wooden wagons and carriages, and later came to symbolize a connection to luxury, as you note in your post.

In a 21st century all electric vehicle I think it is time to move past those connotations and utilize modern materials. I ended up with the white interior in my Model 3 because the white seats looked so amazing with silver paint (I think they look great with any paint color except black). If I had a black interior I would want to wrap the dash wood. It is of course personal preference and an aesthetic choice; there is no “right” answer.

 

[ecarfan]

Anything that we use — plastic, carbon fiber, vinyl, etc — has environmental consequences, as a lot of this stuff is fossil fuel based.

Very true, though felling trees for purely decorative trim hardly seems environmentally responsible.

I realize the amount of wood veneer used per car is tiny. But Tesla is going to build millions of Model 3’s.

 

[Lunares]

I definitely vastly prefer the white dash. in fact when I was ordering white was only available for performance models, so I upgraded to performance specifically because of that (obviously everything else was a factor but white dash was the #1).

My other option was wrapping it in a carbon fiber or full replacing it.

To me it just clashes so much with the car color wise. When I sat in one before buying it was the #1 thing that just made me go "bleh", especially compared to sitting in a Model S at the time.

In the end super happy I went with the white interior

 

[clostridium]

Thanks for the advice, Pope!

Trevor B-
Everybody else on this thread is able to have a positive discussion except you. So the problem is either everybody else or it’s you. Hmmmm. Just found the first occupant of my blocked list on this site.

 

[SHERIDANTIMP]

I want matching wood trim pieces! Several suppliers sell lots of plastic versions but no matching wood. Anybody have a source?

 

[TomT]

I love the wood! I equally disliked the white!

 

[ivy_]

It would be interesting to know whether the veneer used is FSC certified. (Forest Stewardship Council)

Certified materials go through a traceable chain of custody back to their original source, so you know that the wood products came from sustainable sources. If we’re touting Vegan leather, it seems like a good next step.

 

[Jenningsrandol]

I love my model s D 100 real or fake wood..best decision I ever made .I drive EVERYWHERE FREE !!!!!!!!

 

[TBrownTX]

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.

You had me up until the first two paragraphs! Yesterday I ripped that hippy-dippy 1970s station wagon looking wood dash right out.

Now rocking a CF replacement that really ties in nice with the performance spoiler and Uberturbine wheels on my '21 M3P.

That being said, I do think your post is on point and does explain the "why" behind the wood choice, which always left me scratching my head.

RPM Tesla Matte Carbon Fiber Dashboard Replacement

Today I installed my new carbon fiber dashboard replacement in the matte finish from RPM Tesla. I have a 2021 Model 3 Performance and hated the wood trim from the moment I ordered the car. As there were some design changes from ’20 to ’21 I reached out to RPM Tesla prior to ordering to ensure a...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Wvapoker]

I love the wood! I equally disliked the white!

This is how I feel too. I would like brushed aluminum too.

 

[danarcha]

I want matching wood trim pieces! Several suppliers sell lots of plastic versions but no matching wood. Anybody have a source?

rpmtesla.com has wood veneer overlays for the center console. Also there is hillsmade.com who is taking orders for wood veneer overlays but I don't think they have shipped any out yet. Search the forum for hillsmade, I know some here are waiting on their orders.

 

[JDMerica]

Even tho this thread is a crazy necro I'll play. I feel like your local upholstery shop could do you an alcantara cover for it easily as well. I plan on having them do mine. They rewrapped my harley fat bob seat in Bride fabric for $300 and that was a much more complicated job. (Gotta piss off the harley guys somehow)

 

[KenC]

I'm one of those who ordered the Hillsmade wood center consoles. Should be hearing very very soon on whether it's a real product and whether it has shipped, or not.

Obviously, I like the wood dash. It goes with the clean lines of the car. A very Scandinavian aesthetic. Wood warms the interior and contrasts with a modern design, which tends to be cold, in appearance. Easy enough to replace with something else if you don't like it.

 

[TBrownTX]

Even tho this thread is a crazy necro I'll play. I feel like your local upholstery shop could do you an alcantara cover for it easily as well. I plan on having them do mine. They rewrapped my harley fat bob seat in Bride fabric for $300 and that was a much more complicated job. (Gotta piss off the harley guys somehow)

I picked up an extra dash insert from eBay, the wood had some marks in it so it was only $75. I was going to grab some alcantara and a can of 3M 77 spray adhesive to do the same thing, but decided just to do the CF like I originally wanted in the end.

Tim

 

[pipestem]

The wood was a minor but real selling point for me. If you don’t like your dash accent then remove if carefully and send to me so I can try different stains. Wood is very soothing.

 

[Ampre Sand]

Wow, old thread. The real wood veneer accent makes me smile - “soothing” is a good word for it. Adds just enough warmth to an otherwise minimalist design. I’d be interested to know exactly what species it is. Anyone know?

 

[danarcha]

Wow, old thread. The real wood veneer accent makes me smile - “soothing” is a good word for it. Adds just enough warmth to an otherwise minimalist design. I’d be interested to know exactly what species it is. Anyone know?

According to the hillsmade.com website, which offers the veneers in different woods, the OEM wood dash is walnut.

 

[MikeyC]

You had me up until the first two paragraphs! Yesterday I ripped that hippy-dippy 1970s station wagon looking wood dash right out.

Now rocking a CF replacement that really ties in nice with the performance spoiler and Uberturbine wheels on my '21 M3P.

That being said, I do think your post is on point and does explain the "why" behind the wood choice, which always left me scratching my head.

RPM Tesla Matte Carbon Fiber Dashboard Replacement

Today I installed my new carbon fiber dashboard replacement in the matte finish from RPM Tesla. I have a 2021 Model 3 Performance and hated the wood trim from the moment I ordered the car. As there were some design changes from ’20 to ’21 I reached out to RPM Tesla prior to ordering to ensure a...

teslamotorsclub.com

Agree on the 70's station wagon look. I was ready to have to get rid of the wood until I realized mine with the white interior comes with a white center piece instead of wood. Looks nice! Not such a fan of the carbon fiber "zebra stripes" but anything is better than wood. Wood and chrome are two things that should be restricted only to the WayBack Machine.

Mike

 

[kindofblue]

We changed our order from white to black when we saw the white trim on the dash. I prefer it by far.

"To each his own, said the old lady as she kissed the cow."

 

[Gasaraki]

For the love of everything holy, new users PLEASE stop reviving old ancient threads.