Tesla has removed almost all the buttons from its interior, but several companies have developed physical buttons to be integrated into Teslas, to create shortcuts to certain functions.
Tesla has significantly reduced the number of buttons on board the brand’s models. It has even become a kind of trademark. But for some customers, it’s a bit too much. We come across more and more regularly, on Tesla customer groups, suggestions for adding physical buttons to create useful shortcuts to certain features. Is it really something that could quickly become essential for Tesla owners?
If the idea can lend to smile, it is not necessarily as absurd as it seems. Much like with the Yoke steering wheel, not all customers are 100% fans of Tesla’s whimsical ideas. The absence of physical buttons, which forces you to systematically go through the central screen or through voice commands that are not always well mastered, annoys some owners. Several projects have been launched in this niche of accessories for Tesla, proof that there is certainly potential to develop these third-party solutions.
The “S3XY Buttons” open up possibilities for customization
What makes the strength of these solutions is a customization of the use of the buttons, which you would not necessarily have on a car pre-equipped with buttons. Typically, constructors implement buttons with a defined function, which the user cannot change. With the Enhance S3XY buttonscustomization involves both the function of the button, but also the location where it will be placed in the vehicle.
These independent button packs are sold in sets of 2, 4 or 6. They therefore allow up to 8 shortcuts to useful functions to be installed in the car. A control box must be connected to the OBD socket of the Tesla, then the button settings are made from a smartphone application. These are functions such as:
- Opening/closing the front/rear trunkse, doors or glove box;
- Changing driving modes, regenerative braking or driving aids;
- climate control, heated seats or media;
- Adjusting mirrors or windscreen wipers ;
- Lock or unlock doors.
There are still many functions which are listed according to the Tesla models on the manufacturer’s website. It is up to each person to find in these buttons what he or she needs as a shortcut and where to place it so that it is useful. This can be the glove box opening control, easily accessible to the passenger and the driver. the YouTuber Arm’L iTech even stuck one of the buttons on a T2 charging cable to make it smarter, allowing one click to open the charging hatch and unlock the cable to stop charging.
The applications seem to be quite varied, as long as it is an action already managed natively by the Tesla (from its central screen). The fact remains that this solution is not really affordable. You have to pay no less than €200 for the kit comprising 2 “S3XY buttons” with their control box. It is also better to directly opt for 4 or 6 buttons from the start, to save money.
The Ctrl-Bar which appears as an almost natural extension of the Model 3 and Y screen
This project is a prototype in the crowdfunding phase on the site Indiegogo.combut the entrepreneurs behind the initiative are not their first accessory for Tesla.
This control bar can be used as a shortcut to several functions, in particular the adjustment of the air conditioning or the volume, given its positioning under the screen. It can also create many different shortcuts, somewhat on the principle of sexy buttons. The bar also incorporates LEDs to create a colorful light atmosphere behind the screen, for those who find that their Model 3 or Y lacks this.
It’s a little less customizable overall, and a little less successful than the sexy buttons, since the system does not go through a direct connection to the vehicle’s OBD. The Ctrl-bar is powered by USB and communicates via Bluetooth with your phone and the service application. This app then communicates back to your Tesla through the Tesla API. This also creates a slight latency between the command and the reaction of the vehicle. A product that could be refined as OTA updates progress, but which still has potential, even if once again the price will exceed 200 €.
Be careful with these accessories though.
Many such accessories can be found on cheap Chinese sites. However, be careful what you buy and put in your Tesla. Without sinking into the paranoia of malicious hackers, who would like to hack your vehicle remotely, you must however be careful that these accessories do not become gateways to unsecured communications with your vehicle.
It’s not just about little gadgets. As soon as these accessories communicate with features of your vehicle, be careful what you install.
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