DIY
Tesla Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) Review
EVannex has become synonymous with engineering the beautifully hand-crafted, and word’s first, Center Console Insert (CCI) for the Tesla Model S.
Being one of the pioneers in the Tesla aftermarket world, EVannex sets the de-facto standard on what true premium luxury represents.
Before the CCI
The interior of the Tesla Model S is clean, sleek and minimalistic in design which inherently lends itself to one fundamental flaw – there’s no storage capabilities.
The factory center channel on the Tesla Model S is flat, open and perfect if you’re looking to stow a large duffle bag between the front seats, but anything less than that may not be suitable. It’s certainly not a friendly place for loose change, sunglasses, cell phones and the like, as they all run the risk of being flung around while the vehicle’s in motion. Not to mention, by having your personal knick-knacks laying out in the open, you’re not only creating a messy look that detracts from the clean interior lines, but you’re also exposing yourself to undesirable passers-by.
The Crossover vs. The Blind Chicken Wing?
We’re not making reference to the next Adam Sandler movie here, but rather we’re referring to the contorted elbow positions required for accessing the factory beverage holders. The factory holders are situated close to the inner lumbar of each seat which makes ease of access virtually impossible. Reaching over to grab your morning cup of joe is a completely blind act of faith. Here’s how it goes. Eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel while the other hand starts performing the ridiculous “Crossover” / “Blind Chicken Wing” ritual. It you’re a Model S owner then you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. It makes for a fun laugh each and every time we do it. Someone seriously needs to make a YouTube video of this.
Do you have another technique to share? Let us know. 
@Teslarati
After the CCI
The EVannex Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) adds a conveniently located cup holder (expandable through the X2 option), covered storage, and a bonus compartment that doubles as a phone caddie with charging capabilities.
The CCI blends seamlessly into the interior of the Model S. They’ve done a fantastic job matching the form and finish of the CCI with all of the styling cues of the Model S. From the subtle curves that elegantly flow alongside the seat base, to the precision double stitch that makes for a factory-like appearance – the CCI truly epitomizes what a premium luxury aftermarket part should look like.
Not to dwell on the stitching, but we were truly impressed that even the smallest of details were considered. The color of the stitching, down to the thickness of the stitch, and furthermore, the spacing between stitches matched perfectly to that of the factory’s. It’s subtleties like this that make the CCI stand apart from any would be competition.
Editors’ note: We purposely left the pictures in hi-resolution for you to zoom and witness the detail for yourself.
Installation
Inserting your CCI is literally a two minute activity that requires no tools whatsoever. It’s as simple as sliding the CCI down and forward into the center channel area (the section below the 17-inch touchscreen) and then pressing it in place.
The fit is snug. So snug in fact that during a certain point of the installation, we gasped when we saw the front corners of the upholstered sides starting to buckle outwards and detach from the main base. We’d be the first to admit that we’re a bunch of guys who never ask for directions, nor read instruction pamphlets. But in this particular incident, we immediately consulted our CCI – Installation Quick Start guide only to discover that the front sides of the CCI were purposely designed to flex outwards in order to achieve the best possible fit.
Also see: Personalizing the Tesla Model S Center Console CCI
Leave it to the CCI guys to have thought of everything!
Options and Trim Levels
The EVannex Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) comes in three separate options (basic, standard, custom) to best suit your budgetary and styling needs. We opted for the fully loaded Custom CCI which retails at over $1,000 and comes in matching upholstery and with a variety of deck trims that correspond to the factory Model S interior options. Like everything else on the CCI, the trim was flawless and matched our factory Obeche Wood (Gloss finish) down to a tee.
Storage
Now to the fun stuff. So how much “stuff” can the EVannex Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) actually store? We put it to the test to find out.
Things to store:
- Travel mug
- Oversized sunglasses
- Driving glasses
- iPhone
- Hand purse/clutch (packed full of items)
We found that the storage capacity of the CCI was more than adequate for stowing commonly used items such as cell phones, sunglasses, business card holders, rolls of quarters ..etc. On top of that we were able to comfortably fit a hand purse into the storage compartment yet still have about 25% in leftover space.
The bottom of the storage compartment contains an anti-slip pad which is great for items that rest directly against it. However as we began stacking items on top of one another (in order to maximize our usage) we started to notice that the heavier items, which were not in direct contact with the anti-slip pad, would occasionally slide around while driving. The impact it made against the inner plastic walls would on occasion produce a faint thunk that’s only noticeable if you happen to have the media center off. We imagine this could easily be remedied by affixing the same type of anti-slip pad along the front and back of the storage compartment.
Teslaccessories Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) – Deep Storage Bin
The CCI provides security through its covered storage compartment and shelters your contents from probing eyes. On the styling front, we especially like how the brushed aluminum handle for the storage cover perfectly matched the finish on our Teslaccessories Travel Mug. Now that’s slick!
Teslaccessories Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) – Secure Compartment
Cup Holder with Upgrades
Our CCI was fitted with the detachable EVannex “X2” second cup holder which we absolutely loved. A simple concept, yet still seamless and functional with the biggest appeal being that it’s 100% removable when not needed. The X2 second cup holder proved to work well on its own and without the rubberized cup holder upgrade. Once the cup holder upgrade was inserted, we noticed that the grip it had on our travel mugs would far exceed the grip needed to keep the X2 in place. In other words removing the travel mug from the X2 could potentially lift the entire X2 out of the CCI. As a result we decided to only retrofit the rubber cup holder upgrade on the X2 when needed.
Tips on how you use your CCI? Let us know. @Teslarati
Even with the X2 installed there’s ample storage capacity towards the front of the CCI which incidentally is where we placed our rubber cup holder upgrade. Just for fun we decided to also place our iPhone and sunglasses into the open spot to see if it could comfortably accommodate it. The items did in fact fit however we found it a bit difficult to retrieve due to its larger and obscure shapes.
That being said, we think there’s still value in repurposing the leftover space after the X2 has been installed. Some smaller items that we think would fit comfortably are:
- Yellow sticky pad with pen
- FastPass device
- Paper napkins
- Pack of gum
- Coin purse
Phone Caddie
The Standard and Custom versions of the EVannex Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) come equipped with a phone caddie that’s located towards the back of the CCI where the USB ports reside. The level of detail that has gone into the construction is second to none and they’ve even gone as far as provisioning a notch for the USB cable (cable not included). We’d recommend purchasing a black USB cable so that it blends better with the surrounding plastic trim. Another tip we thought of is to purchase a shorter length USB cable in order to prevent the cable from unnecessarily bunching up within the caddie.
Conclusion
The EVannex Model S Center Console Insert (CCI) is elegant, factory-like by all accounts, and provides superb function to an otherwise vacant center channel. Ranging from a price of $549 for the Basic CCI all the way to $1158 for the Custom CCI, its a relatively small investment that we think all Model S owners would enjoy and find value in.
Learn more about the CCI at EVannex.
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[box type=”bio”]TESLARATI provides impartial reviews and is in no way paid by the vendor for the content that is produced.
Back in 2019, YouTuber Simone Giertz, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Sh*tty Robots,” created a one-off Tesla Model 3 build that took the automotive world by storm. Fondly dubbed as “Truckla,” Giertz noted that the vehicle was actually her dream car — as crazy as that may sound.
Now almost four years later, the YouTuber posted an update on Truckla. And just like every other big project that one probably started, Giertz stated that she actually stopped working on Truckla when the vehicle was about 80% complete. The car is driving though, but a lot of stuff was not really working very well.
Thus, for her Truckla update, Giertz shared how most of her Model 3 pickup truck conversion was essentially completed. Truckla got a lot of detailing done, she got a slight lift, and she now has a functional tailgate. One has to admit, Truckla’s tailgate is pretty darn cool.
The “Queen of Sh*tty Robots” also opted to give Truckla a friend in the form of an automatic robot charger. Unlike Tesla’s rather interesting snake charger from years past, Truckla’s charger would come in the form of a rover, thanks to her friends at robotics platform Viam. Giertz aptly named Truckla’s robot charger friend “Chargela,” which is an appropriate name for such an invention.
Also true to form for Giertz, Chargela’s first encounter with Truckla was just a tiny bit awkward. One could say that Chargela may have just been a little bit nervous on his first try without human hands helping him. Most importantly, the system did work, so Giertz would likely keep using Chargela for her Model 3 pickup.
Teslas are very tech-heavy vehicles, so projects like Giertz’s Truckla are always remarkable. The fact that the Model 3 works perfectly fine despite having a good chunk of it cut off and turned into a pickup truck bed is mighty impressive any way one looks at it. Overall, Truckla will always be one of the coolest Tesla DIY projects to date, so any updates about the vehicle are always appreciated.
Truckla’s nearly four-year update can be viewed below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
A Tesla owner is taking his hobby and love for electric vehicles to new levels by creating what could only be described as one of the coolest EV-related DIY projects to date. The idea for the project is simple: what happens when you cross a supercar with the Cybertruck? You end up with a two-seater CyberRoadster.
Tesla owner David Andreyev, who goes by the username @Cyber_Hooligan_ on Twitter, has spent the last few months creating a Cybertruck-inspired version of the next-generation Roadster made from a salvaged Model 3 Performance. Starting with a Model 3 Performance is an inspired choice, considering that it is Tesla’s first vehicle that has a dedicated Track Mode.
A look at Andreyev’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed here, shows the meticulous build that the Tesla owner has implemented on the project car. What’s particularly cool about the CyberRoadster is the fact that it’s being built with parts that are also from other Tesla vehicles, like its front bumper that came from a new Model S. Recent videos suggest that the project car’s rear bumper will be from a new Model S as well.
The journey is long for Andreyev, so the completion of the CyberRoadster will likely take some more time. Despite this, seeing the Tesla owner’s DIY journey on such an epic build is more than satisfying. And considering that the CyberRoadster is evidently a labor of love from the Tesla owner, the final results would likely be extremely worth it.
There’s a lot of crazy Tesla modifications that have been done as of late. But some, as it is with a lot of things on the internet these days, have become more silly gimmicks than serious automotive projects. Fortunately, car enthusiasts like Andreyev, who just happen to also love electric vehicles, are taking it upon themselves to create one-of-a-kind EVs that would surely capture the attention of anyone on the road.
Check out the latest video in the CyberRoadster’s creation below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
A Tesla owner has demonstrated a rather novel way to charge his Model 3. In a recent video, Sean Callaghan of the ItsYeBoi YouTube channel opted to use a series of off-the-shelf solar panel sheets onto a towable trailer to create a mobile charging unit for his all-electric sedan.
Callaghan planned to use only the sun and the solar sheets purchased from e-commerce platform Wish to charge his Model 3. The solar panel sheets would collect energy from the sun and transfer it to a control panel. The control panels were connected to batteries that would hold the energy—the batteries connected to an inverter, which would then charge the Tesla Model 3.
The entire assembly would provide the Model 3 with about 800 watts of energy on a completely sunny day. However, Callaghan shot the video when weather was overcast, so the entire solar panel trailer build only managed to provide around 300 watts throughout the YouTube host’s test.
To put this into perspective, a 100 volt home wall outlet provides 1.4 kilowatts of power, or 1,400 watts. Therefore, the 300-watt solar panel assembly built by Callaghan was producing less than 25% of the energy of a typical wall outlet. This is pretty marginal compared to Tesla’s 250-kilowatt V3 Superchargers, which provides 250,000 watts, or about 833 times as much power as the makeshift solar panel build.
However, Callaghan’s goal was not to charge the vehicle quickly. He explained the idea came from a previous video where he used a $5,000 Wish-purchased wind turbine to charge his Model 3. He wanted to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the system, which was questionable due to the time it would take to charge the battery fully.
The Model 3 battery pack is 78 kWh, and with Callaghan’s 300-watt system charging his electric vehicle, it would take 260 hours to supply the Tesla’s battery to full capacity.
In the past, electric vehicle enthusiasts have asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk why the company’s vehicles do not contain solar glass roofing, which would charge the car while the owner is driving. Musk has explained that the efficiency of this idea is challenging and likely would not provide an ample amount of range.
When asked about the idea of putting solar panels on the top of Tesla’s vehicles in 2017, Musk responded that the idea was “Not that helpful, because the actual surface of the car is not that much, and cars are often inside. The least efficient place to put solar is on the car.” It also would not be cost-effective for Tesla because “the cost of the panels and electronics, R&D and assembly would never pay for itself in the life of the vehicle, compared to charging from the wall in your garage,” Quartz noted.
That being said, Tesla plans to implement solar panels onto the motorized tonneau of the upcoming Cybertruck. The idea was discussed on Twitter when Musk stated that the optional feature would add “15 miles per day, possibly more” when parked in the sunlight. Also, fold-out solar wings could help capture enough solar energy for 30 to 40 miles a day.
Watch Sean Callaghan’s video of his makeshift solar panel trailer below.
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