What's the difference between the white and black interior?

[RJUK]

As the title really - what is the difference between the black and white interiors? Is it literally just the colour of the seats, the dash trim and the door trims? Or is the shape/design of the seats different also? When looking yesterday it said on the Tesla website that the white used the "most premium materials", but in all honestly I prefer the open grain wood, personally.

Also, is the white even available at the moment? The option seems to have disappeared on the configurator today...

 

[SanDiegoM3]

You can swap dash trims with other owners, I wouldn’t fret about that.

 

[silentcorp]

Only the colors, no difference in seat design or anything else. I think some early black interior Model 3's had alcantara headliners and door panels but I don't think that comes with any of them now.

 

[Nguyenning]

Gen 1 seats ended around VIN 15K... they all come with Gen 2 seats now. Much more comfortable. (White and black)

And yeah I’ve seen plenty of dash swaps so I wouldn’t worry about that.

 

[RJUK]

Anybody know why the white appears to be missing on the configurator? Do they just chop and change the options quite frequently? I swear the grey paint colour wasn't available yesterday but now it is...

 

[ChrisH]

Anybody know why the white appears to be missing on the configurator? Do they just chop and change the options quite frequently? I swear the grey paint colour wasn't available yesterday but now it is...

They have made changes over time but not usually large ones like this.

The dark gray (midnight silver metallic) has always been available (my car is this color and I took delivery last August) and I just went to the website and white interior is available for me to pick.

 

[RJUK]

Just found a tweet from Elon saying the white is only available in high volume markets now, so literally changed it yesterday!

Lucky I was favouring the black!

 

[Scott7]

Also, is the white even available at the moment? The option seems to have disappeared on the configurator today...

It’s because you’re in the UK where the Model 3 just launched and available options and trims are somewhat different from other markets.

Elon tweeted the white interior is coming for UK but the timeline isn’t clear.

 

[EVDRVN]

The white seats are softer FYI.

 

[RJUK]

It’s because you’re in the UK where the Model 3 just launched and available options and trims are somewhat different from other markets.

Elon tweeted the white interior is coming for UK but the timeline isn’t clear.

I saw 20 hours ago that he said they had removed the white to streamline things in lower volume markets. The white was showing for me Friday (maybe even yesterday), but not today.

 

[ChrisH]

I saw 20 hours ago that he said they had removed the white to streamline things in lower volume markets. The white was showing for me Friday (maybe even yesterday), but not today.

This seems odd since they are all made in California...unless they are shipping pre made ones to delivery centers in lower volume sales areas.

 

[RJUK]

This seems odd since they are all made in California...unless they are shipping pre made ones to delivery centers in lower volume sales areas.

Not a clue - Check Elon's tweet though. It referred to Japanese customers, but it makes sense that it would be the same reason the white interior option disappeared for me also.

 

[TomT]

I drove a car with the white interior and hated it! The glare from the white on the dash alone was enough to completely turn me off on it!

 

[ChrisH]

I haven’t sat in one with the white interior but it looks sweet and supposedly makes the interior feel/look bigger.

The glare issue would bother me too but I don’t know how big of an issue this is vs not. May be a personal thing.

 

[SammichLover]

Gen 1 seats ended around VIN 15K... they all come with Gen 2 seats now. Much more comfortable. (White and black)

There is a Gen 3 that I haven't see many people talk about. Somewhere late 2018 they quietly improved the bolstering on the front seats. At the Custer Rally I had a chance to sit in a Dec 2018 P and the side bolstering is definitely firmer, higher. <edit> To be clear, this is on the bottom section of the seat. Not the sides of the back.

To the OP, the white seat material is more pliable to the touch. Not worlds of different, and I doubted it until I got a chance to try it, but it is a bit softer. Whether or not you care about that?

 

[Gordon87]

Only the colors, no difference in seat design or anything else. I think some early black interior Model 3's had alcantara headliners and door panels but I don't think that comes with any of them now.

I have a black interior, Gen 2 seats. It still has alcantara in the door panels.

Unfortunately, RHD markets don’t get the white option at this time. See Tesla is trying to 'simplify product complexity', just one interior option in some markets, says Elon Musk - Electrek

 

[Stanwood Steve]

I have the white interior - haven't noticed any glare issues, but it does stay nice and cool in hotter weather.

 

[Common_Loon]

As the title really - what is the difference between the black and white interiors? Is it literally just the colour of the seats, the dash trim and the door trims? Or is the shape/design of the seats different also? When looking yesterday it said on the Tesla website that the white used the "most premium materials", but in all honestly I prefer the open grain wood, personally.

Also, is the white even available at the moment? The option seems to have disappeared on the configurator today...

Everything is the same except the white pleather/vegan leather is a little softer than the black by most accounts.

 

[EVDRVN]

I drove a car with the white interior and hated it! The glare from the white on the dash alone was enough to completely turn me off on it!

Yes it does glare and the wood with the white would have been a better choice and very nice. Anyone that sits or drives both the white and black seats side by side that have the same relative use will notice that the more flexible white make the seats softer and move more side to side as well. S/X seats are not the same this way and the 3 seats we not well designed in many ways, little attention was given to support. The right side foam seat bolster is less supported than the left making you leg go out more. They could have really benefited from geting an outside design. The prototype seats were incredible in every way.

 

[Mr X]

I drove a car with the white interior and hated it! The glare from the white on the dash alone was enough to completely turn me off on it!

You need a better pair of sunglasses then


Zero glare in all of the white interior Model 3's i've been in with my Maui Jim sunglasses