March 23, 2022

Some creative aftermarket mods may inspire Tesla's future design choices

Tesla's electric vehicles are generally considered luxury or premium, but for some, they don't provide quite enough customization. Whether it's on the inside, outside or somewhere in-between, aftermarket mods may (or may not) inform future design cues from the automaker.

A recent video on TikTok shared last month depicts a seriously upgraded Tesla Model 3, built out by user @tesla_val (via Slash Gear — see clip at the bottom of this blog post). The upgrade features LED lighting trim around the center console, dashboard and door handles, and the video shows the impressive process the user undertook to mod the vehicle.

The video starts with the user removing the carbon fiber trim around the center console and across the dash, and replacing each of them with an RGB LED trim. Then, the door and window panels are removed and the user puts an LED liner around the handles. Finally, the user removes the center touchscreen, speakers and the panel beneath the steering wheel and replaces each of them with LED lights.

The result is a beautiful white LED entry into the vehicle through the handles, and an aesthetically pleasing display of synchronized RGB color once inside. As good as it looks, this complicated mod is probably best left for professionals or those who really know what they’re doing.

Nevertheless, this unique transformation to the Model 3 interior joins a wide range of aftermarket mods that many believe can upgrade their Tesla — whether it's purely for aesthetic reasons or strictly performance-related.

For example, a collaboration between Orbis and NASA brought a new Periodic Wave Disc Brake Rotor to fruition for the Tesla Model S Plaid, and the creators hope to bring it to the U.S. market as soon as possible, according to Motortrend. As far as performance is concerned, NASA says the brake disc offers a "lightweight brake rotor design with high heat dissipation using novel surface cooling technology."

Meanwhile, a Michigan startup called Our Next Energy (ONE) recently also retrofitted a Model S with a 752-mile battery pack as reported by Car and Driver last month. The option is yet another example of aftermarket parts people are putting out in lieu of related options directly from Tesla, and came just weeks before CEO Elon Musk commented on making longer-range EVs.

From Tesla’s white upholstery to its range, the automaker could certainly make some improvements despite having the largest customer base of any EV company — and knowing Tesla, certain aftermarket parts could pave the way for such improvements down the road.