I’ve been experimenting for a while to find a good way to improve the console of my Tesla Model S to give me a place to put my phone to use and charge and to give me a cupholder for slightly larger cups without having to sacrifice my armrest. This is what I’ve come up with and others may want to use it as well. I have a 2015 build Model S with the wood yacht floor.
This was designed to hold the Apple lightning charge cable for an iPhone. It would need to be modified to hold a cable for any other kind of phone. It holds my iPhone 7 and my wife’s iPhone 6 Plus without a case. Presumably that means it will work with any iPhone that uses the lightning connector. You may need to shim the connector in place depending on how your print goes. I used toothpick points to shim mine. This does provide more support to my phone than my Apple Dock does, but it does not provide full support. Use it accordingly.
I have also chosen to put a USB charge strip in mine which plugs into the 12V outlet rather than using one of the USB slots. It charges more quickly and allows me to add cables for other phones during a road trip. The one I am using is this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OHE8AOI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It fits comfortably inside the print base and includes adhesive so it doesn’t rattle around.
I designed it to match the premium interior by wrapping the top and part of the base with black Alcantara (ultra suede). This wrap also keeps it quiet. I have uploaded the pattern to cut the Alcantara if you chose to do the same. I used 3M Super 77 spray glue to hold it to my PLA print. It’s not perfect and I’m open to suggestions for a better adhesive.
I found a machined aluminum cupholder which is a close match to the frame around the touchscreen. I got it here: http://www.eddiemotorsports.com/product/interior-parts/drink-cup-holders/billet-drink-holders/drink-holder-billet-med/ The anodized aluminum finish is a perfect match. It’s a little pricey, but it really looks great and gives the console a little of the aluminum bling that it’s otherwise missing. I have included a file to print a similar cupholder if you chose not to get an aluminum one.
USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Safety and security is a big concern with this. I’m sure you don’t want a big gulp spilling all over your car when you make a hard turn. I can’t control how well you attach this to your console or what other conditions might exist in your particular car. I used 3M picture hanging strips to mount mine and they seem to be working well, but I don’t drink Big Gulps. I’ve included a photo showing my particular installation.
I hope you find this useful. I love my Tesla, but have always been a little frustrated that they didn’t give me a good place for my phone. Used in combination with the Tesla Drawer and Glove Compartment Organizer that I’ve also uploaded to Thingiverse, my OCD is at rest.
If it looks really small when you download it, you may need to scale from mm to inches: 25.4.
fabric_template.pdf | 324.1KB | |
Tesla_Console_Base.stl | 501.2KB | |
Tesla_Console_Cap.stl | 106.7KB | |
Tesla_Console_Cupholder.stl | 511.6KB |