CT with a Harley-style modular interior?

[Bigfoot DeLorean]

So one thing that’s always bugged me about vehicles - it can be a giant project to repair simple interior pieces that get most of the daily wear and tear.

For example - I have a range rover suv. The interior is gorgeous. But - all the trim near high use areas get scratched, like the wood steering wheel, panels around cup holders and nooks for fobs, phones, etc. The cost to replace those parts is huge - and on top of it, there are a ton of switches/buttons RIGHT BY THE CUP HOLDERS. There will be spills, and now your important switches are sticky on the INSIDE. Fixing a sticky switch involves a major cost, as all kinds of things are connected underneath and taking it apart is a nightmare. And if you want to replace the leather seat covers? You’re looking at $2k per seat. For just the covers. Before installation. I cant imagine what it would cost to replace a steering wheel.

With the CT I know switches mostly wont be a problem, but scratches on high wear areas, leather seat covers, armrests, interior door panels, even the steering wheel...it would be great if they designed these to be easily replaced by the owner yet not sacrifice how solid they are secured. Would make for a great secondary market too, since you could just buy new high wear items and bam, your second hand CT looks factory new.

So - it would be nice if high wear areas were made to be replaced easily. I think both owners and Tesla would benefit from this, and it could open up new revenue opportunities with customized parts (e.g. harley davidson). I’m just a chimp, no desire to hack the brain of the car. But I can use a wrench and a screwdriver and would enjoy replacing - or modding - hard, dumb components if I didn’t have to rip apart everything (and likely void a warranty) to do so. Thoughts?

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[Sputter]

So one thing that’s always bugged me about vehicles - it can be a giant project to repair simple interior pieces that get most of the daily wear and tear.

For example - I have a range rover suv. The interior is gorgeous. But - all the trim near high use areas get scratched, like the wood steering wheel, panels around cup holders and nooks for fobs, phones, etc. The cost to replace those parts is huge - and on top of it, there are a ton of switches/buttons RIGHT BY THE CUP HOLDERS. There will be spills, and now your important switches are sticky on the INSIDE. Fixing a sticky switch involves a major cost, as all kinds of things are connected underneath and taking it apart is a nightmare. And if you want to replace the leather seat covers? You’re looking at $2k per seat. For just the covers. Before installation. I cant imagine what it would cost to replace a steering wheel.

With the CT I know switches mostly wont be a problem, but scratches on high wear areas, leather seat covers, armrests, interior door panels, even the steering wheel...it would be great if they designed these to be easily replaced by the owner yet not sacrifice how solid they are secured. Would make for a great secondary market too, since you could just buy new high wear items and bam, your second hand CT looks factory new.

So - it would be nice if high wear areas were made to be replaced easily. I think both owners and Tesla would benefit from this, and it could open up new revenue opportunities with customized parts (e.g. harley davidson). I’m just a chimp, no desire to hack the brain of the car. But I can use a wrench and a screwdriver and would enjoy replacing - or modding - hard, dumb components if I didn’t have to rip apart everything (and likely void a warranty) to do so. Thoughts?

Wonderful thought! Let's hope Elon reads this. For starters, get rid of the shiny, black plastic console.

 

[Luke42]

I'm not a luxury car person, so most of the OPs argument is not relatable. If it weren't for the future-tech drivetrains that Teslas have, I'd be perfectly happy driving a 4-year-old Honda abd a used GMC pick up truck.

An orthogonal argument for having replaceable seats is to look at used vehicle ads for high-mileage GM pickup truck-derived vehicles. The left side of the driver's seat is worn through in almost all of these trucks after about 150k miles. These trucks seem to last about 250k (very thirsty) miles.

When I bought my GMC Sierra Hybrid, I looked at a number of project-trucks with worn out seats. They are replaceable, but its not obvious how you get OEM-quality seats for a DIY replacement. It looks like it's rare for people to replace the seats in these trucks, because you're throwing several thousand dollars at a truck that isn't expected to last much longer. Most people just put on seat covers and wait for the rest of the vehicle to wear out, or sell the truck down-market.

A big part of the Tesla CT's value proposition is its longevity. The stainless steel body will outlast the galvanized steel used in regular trucks, and the rumored million mile battery mean that the CT should easily outlast the seats.

Because of its expected longevity, the Tesla CT definitely needs an easy way for owners to replace worn out interior components.

P.S. Keep in mind that the prices for the GM Silverado/Sierra/Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban price range is almost identical to the prices of the Tesla CT. They're priced the same as luxury vehicles, but are are far less exclusive (your landscaper probably drives a used one) and far more useful (these vehicles can haul and tow long after they've depreciated). This is a very different market from the Range Rover market, but the Tesla CT will likely make a place for itself.

 

[Crissa]

Well, the seats at least did look modular.

And we're seeing the high-mileage commercial-use 3 and S es getting their interiors replaced. So Tesla does already have a process which will probably be more mature by the time anything in a Cybertruck wears out.

Modular is a good idea, though- lets you do things like have additional stalks for accessibility or options.

-Crissa

 

[Luke42]

And we're seeing the high-mileage commercial-use 3 and S es getting their interiors replaced. So Tesla does already have a process which will probably be more mature by the time anything in a Cybertruck wears out.

I'd like to see an interior refresh/upgrade be just another item on the service menu.

The gotcha is that these parts are bigger and more expensive than you'd think.

For instance, I overheard a couple of Tahoe owners talking about how it's common for their dashboards to crack after a few years in the sun.

The replacement part is almost 6 feet long, costs a couple of thousand dollars, and takes (billable) hours replace. Most owners just live with cracks in their dashboards.

These kind of long-term maintenance problems can be designed out of a vehicle, if it's a priority.

Tesla can engineer these parts to be easier to replace, while simultaneously building an aftermarket revenue stream for Tesla.

I sure hope they do!