Teslas are expensive cars. Priced above $60,000, Elon’s environmentally-friendly vehicles come with plenty of features, from inbuilt games to streaming services to a fart button (I’m not making this up). But hey, why stop there, why not get some accessories for your Tesla and go all in?
I’m not plugging anyone here. Although there are some great accessories on offer, I’m more pointing and laughing at this market. I was really only alerted to the fact that Tesla owners had such a huge third-party market for accessories by an email in my inbox for a backseat TV, perfect for the S 3 X Y cars, but now I’m on an accessory shopping spree.
So, here’s a bunch of Tesla accessories I love… And a bunch I’m laughing at.
Love: Screen swivel kit
One of the things I disliked the most about the Tesla Model Y was how far you had to tilt your head to view driving information, including maps, speed and any necessary periphery information that you’d expect in the behind-the-wheel instrumental cluster. This screen swivel kit allows you to move the screen and tilt it in your direction, albeit with some small hardware work. I love this one, but I’d still love my information front and centre.
Price: $249
Laugh: Caraoke USB disco ball light
When I first heard that Tesla had an inbuilt Karaoke app called “Caraoke”, I did a double take and immediately disassociated with the world. This accessory enhances your Caraoke experience by adding a disco ball light to the fun, inserted via USB-A (although it comes with a USB-C adapter). It’s such a gimmick.
Price: $4.95
Love: Carbon fibre trimming
At first, I was going to chalk this up as a ‘laugh’, but then I realised it could actually be pretty good for scratch protection. Never mind that not every product is real carbon fibre (though some are), having this style of trim keeps marks off the original car parts and makes maintenance easier. It also gives the car a more sporty, racing look.
Price: From $100
Laugh: Cup holder silicone insert
So most Teslas come with cup holders, albeit without this silicon insert, but I’m putting this one specifically in the laugh category because the website listing it has used an image of alcohol in the cup holders. That could be a problem, but it gave me a chuckle. Gizmodo Australia does not condone drinking and driving.
Price: $19.99
Love: Dog seat cover
Personally, I believe dogs should be legally allowed to drive Teslas, but this backseat cover is a good compromise. It’s specifically designed for the backseat of the Tesla range and stops their claws from marking the seats and fur from getting all over them. You could just use a blanket or get a seat cover that’s not specific to a kind of car, but hey, this one actually looks pretty good.
Price: $80
Laugh: Tesla letter badge
My assumption is that sometimes you drive a Tesla and ponder “boy, I wonder if everyone around me knows I’m driving a Tesla?” So you go and buy one of these letter badge accessories that space “T E S L A” across the back of your car, proudly declaring that you are, in fact, driving a Tesla. If I met a Tesla owner with one of these, I would ask if he was driving a Prius.
Price: From $22.95
Love: Frunk hard bucket
This Tesla accessory gives the frunk some utility, letting the owner split up the space in the front compartment for transporting multiple things loosely in their own sections. I can see the use in this, although personally, I’d probably use the boot more.
Price: 89.99
Laugh: Workstation desk
Oh my god, come on now. I know Tesla owners are passionate about their cars, but who the hell is going to work in one, much less like this? Look, charging does take a while, yes, and sometimes you’ll want to do some work, yes, but this is a bit extreme.
Price: $82.95
Love: Tailgate foot activation
This is a feature that I can see some Tesla owners using. The idea of foot activation in cars is that if you’re carrying something with both hands, you can open the boot by tapping something under the car with your foot. It’s a good idea, if a bit specific. No image for this one was provided.
Price: $279
Laugh: Diamond crystal interior trim kits
They should have made them emeralds. That probably would have made Elon happy.
Price: From $30
Anyway, that’s it, these are the Tesla accessories that you can buy but probably shouldn’t.