A Deep Blue Metallic Model S with a refreshed interior, including the wraparound wood door trim, revised instrument cluster display and horizontal center touchscreen, and Tesla’s highly-anticipated Yoke steering wheel, was spotted in downtown Redwood City in Silicon Valley on Saturday.

Photos captured by The Kilowatts reveal a Model S with manufacturer plates, indicating that the company may be in the final stages of public testing before rolling out the updated steering wheel design to production vehicles.

Photos by The Kilowatts

Notable in the photos of the Yoke steering wheel is the absence of a traditional stalk and Tesla’s familiar dual scroll wheels. While Tesla has showcased the capacitive touch functions in illustrations for the Model S and Model X refresh steering wheel, markings for turn signals and drive functions were not visible in the release candidate that was spotted.

What appears to be a production-ready driver and passenger section of the Model S, a refined rear passenger area, clad in Tesla’s famed Vegan white interior and highlighted by the company’s newest rearseat touchscreen display, was clearly evident.

The devil is in the details pic.twitter.com/CQheNrPy3o

— The Kilowatts (@klwtts) February 27, 2021

In the photos shared by The Kilowatts, the button for folding-down the Model S split rear seats can also be seen, along with a more prominent side repeater camera.

Tesla revealed new images of the 2021 Refreshed Model S and Model X earlier this year following months of speculation that the company would be updating the aging interior design of its flagship vehicles.

Tesla teases Model S Plaid with refreshed interior: New touchscreen, Roadster steering wheel, and more

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Hagerty, which specializes in providing insurance services for collector vehicles, noted that it is only a matter of time before alternative fuel vehicles start becoming collectible. John Wiley, a senior data analyst at Hagerty, noted that cars which represent an advancement in transportation are poised to be included in this list. This is especially true for vehicles that featured innovations and are timeless in terms of design.

“EVs and hybrids will absolutely be collectible in the future. In general, aspirational models like the Teslas will lead the way, and milestone cars that represented a key advancement in the technology, performance, or acceptance of the cars (again, like the Teslas) will also be well positioned,” Wiley said.

The original Tesla Roadster is the very personification of these metrics. When it was released in 2008, the little electric sports car held the distinction of being the first mass-produced highway-legal electric vehicle that uses a lithium-ion battery. It was also the first electric car to achieve a range of over 200 miles per charge. Apart from its raw, insane acceleration, the Roadster’s Lotus Elise-based body was nothing short of stunning.

Leslie Kendall, the curator for the Petersen Automotive Museum, noted that the Roadster has the makings of a collectible vehicle. “Pioneering vehicles that have superlative engineering and performance tend to be collectible, and the Roadster is a sexy little coupe. It’s low-slung and blindingly fast and very fun to thrash, I’m told,” he said.

While the Roadster is noted for being a vehicle that showed that all-electric cars can be as desirable as the next Porsche or Audi, it was the Tesla Model S which really proved that electric vehicles are superior alternatives for conventional cars powered by the internal combustion engine. This was a point highlighted by Chelsea Sexton, an electric car advocate.

“The Roadster was the first EV that convinced people an EV could be sporty and fast. The Model S was the first ‘beautiful’ EV and large enough to appeal beyond the most niche of markets,” Sexton said.

With large carmakers now making their bet in electric transportation, the transition to electric vehicles is all but certain. Amidst these changes, it will not be too surprising if other vehicles in Tesla’s lineup become collectibles in the future as well. The Model X could make the list for its nearly over-the-top tech, while the Model 3 could be a collectible for being the car that brought EVs to the mass market. Provided that the Model Y becomes a successful vehicle, the SUV could make Hagerty’s list as well, as it is a vehicle that could deal a decisive blow against the internal combustion engine.

See Hagerty’s full list of potential collectible alternative fuel vehicles here.

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Tesla states in its description for the Twin Turbine Wheels, available in Silver and Sonic Carbon color, are optimized to deliver a more enjoyable driving experience by improving the electric car’s acceleration and handling. Purchasing the Twin Turbine Wheels would give owners everything they need to update their Model S’ wheels. Here are the inclusions for Tesla’s new 21-inch wheel and tire package.

• 2 x 21X8.5J Twin Turbine wheels
• 2 x 21X9.0J Twin Turbine wheels
• 2 x 245/35/21 – Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires
• 2 x 265/35/21 – Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires
• 4 x tire pressure sensors
• 4 x Tesla logo wheel caps
• 20 x Twin Turbine lug nut caps

Unlike the Model S’ Slipstream winter wheels and tire package, which includes four wheels and tires of the same size, the new Twin Turbine set feature slightly larger rear wheels and tires. This particular variation carries over directly from Tesla’s first Turbine Wheels, which also featured larger wheels and tires for the Model S’ rear. 

As noted in a Tire Rack blog post, a staggered setup, where the rear wheels are larger than those in the car’s front, provide a number of benefits for performance-oriented drivers. For one, having slightly larger wheels at the rear gives provides extra grip to the car when launching from a standstill. Considering that the Model S has instant torque due to its electric motors, having a set of tires that can grip the pavement is pertinent to ensure that the full-sized electric sedan can reach its optimum potential. The staggered setup of Tesla’s Twin Turbine wheels also gives the Model S a more aggressive stance.

Customers who wish to avail of the Twin Turbines are advised by Tesla to schedule an appointment with a Service Center for the installation of the new wheels. However, Tesla reminds customers that due to storage space limitations at Service Centers, they would not be able to store the wheels for owners to pick up at a later date. If customers are not able to schedule an appointment after placing their orders, they are advised to pick up the Twin Turbines from their local Service Center and have them installed at a later date.

Tesla’s 21-inch Twin Turbine Wheel and Tire package for the Model S can be purchased here.

As we noted in a previous report, the Tesla Model 3 was recently also given the Turbine Wheel treatment, thanks to aftermarket firm EV Wheel Direct, which sells a set of 19 and 20-inch Turbines for the Model 3. EV Wheel Direct’s Turbine Wheels are quite affordable, starting at only $1,195. The Model 3 Turbine-style Wheels are available in three colors — Satin [Onyx] Black, Brilliant Silver, and Metallic Gray.

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We covered the first installation of Unplugged Performance’s Refresh Front Fascia System on a Model S last year when we did a tour of their facility that’s located in the same commercial center as Tesla’s Design Center and SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. During that time, Ben Schaffer, CEO of Unplugged, even described how the company built a customized quick-release mechanism on the front fascia refresh kit that allows users to easily access the electric car’s 12-volt battery. Access to the Model S’ 12-volt battery pack was one of the changes implemented in Tesla’s facelift since pre-2016 variants of the vehicle allowed users to reach the 12-volt cell by removing the car’s plastic nose cone.

Just recently, Ben Sullins of YouTube’s Teslanomics channel got to try out Unplugged Performance’s front fascia refresh kit. During his video, the YouTuber, who fondly calls his 2016 Model S 60 “Electra,” gamely stated that his car was about to get a “nose job.”

Unplugged Performance’s team started the modification by raising the car and removing the 2013 front fascia. After the panel was removed, the aftermarket refresh kit was installed. The entire process was very straightforward, and not long after, Ben’s 2013 Model S 60 looked just like the post-2016 version of the flagship sedan.

Unplugged Performance’s Refresh Front Fascia System for Model S has proven to be one of the aftermarket firm’s most popular products to date. Speaking to the Teslanomics host, Ben Schaffer stated that his company has been shipping the refresh kit all over the world. The Unplugged Performance CEO further noted that his team has made it a point to make the aftermarket kit as easy to install as possible so that Tesla drivers in other countries can have the modification properly fitted by any machine shop. 

“It’s really easy. We’ve shipped, at this point, basically to every country that Tesla has cars on the road. We put it in a box, pack it up safely, and mail it anywhere in the world, and it can be installed by any body shop. It doesn’t have to be a Tesla-authorized shop. The way we have it set up, it’s basic tools, no specialized knowledge needed about a Tesla, and our instructions are really thorough.”

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Our Tesla made it over three years without a blemish, but this summer an inattentive minivan driver somehow missed the 3 foot long brake light and rammed our rear bumper. Fortunately, no one was hurt and we were somewhat heartened to see that the damage appeared to be superficial and the car was still usable.

Body by Cochran, our local Tesla-approved body shop, had been working on my car for only a day or so when I got some bad news. I noticed earlier in the summer that when I pulled the hitch cover out it was rusty and hard to remove. Since the experts at Cochran would be removing the bumper anyway, I asked them to poke around and let me know what the condition of the hitch was like. I had been recently working under my old Subaru and after eyeballing the Titanic-level rust on its hitch, the cogs in my brain were turning… wondering if the hitch on the Tesla would be better protected hidden behind all those underbody shrouds and the bumper itself.

The pictures sent from Cochran were disturbing. At first the shock of all the rust was concern enough, but I couldn’t figure out why the finish on the hitch was so badly disintegrated. It was only three years old, installed with maniacal attention to detail and all the instructions were followed to the letter and then some. Yet there was no refuting the pictures and the Cochran techs agreed that the failure of the finish was troubling.

I could understand the rust on my old Subaru’s hitch. Like most ICE vehicles, it’s slung under the rear bumper and it’s completely exposed to the elements churned up by the winter roads. Not a single bit of it is protected. Debris and road grit impact the paint, the paint is compromised and slowly but surely, rust takes hold and soon coats the entire assembly. But on the Tesla, the Torklift Ecohitch is completely encased by the bumper and I even had the optional cover on to seal it the rest of the way. Nothing EVER touches the hitch as it is completely protected by various aero shields and the bumper itself.

Even more troubling, the experts at Body by Cochran expressed that they were concerned about what was going on behind the hitch and implored me to have it completely removed and inspected. The surface rust was only part of the problem. As one of the few Tesla-authorized body shops in the region, Cochran’s staff has been educated in the unique problems with restoring crunched Teslas, namely: galvanic corrosion. I didn’t hesitate. Take it all off, baby!

You don’t have to be a metallurgy expert to understand the potential insidiousness of galvanic corrosion. Essentially, two dissimilar metals will have different electrode potentials. These potentials result in one of the metals corroding the other, much like rust, but it can happen without any other outside elements. As the ions migrate from one metal to the other, the corrosion can be aggressive and catastrophic. It’s the basic principle behind the anode rods in your hot water heater, except on the Tesla nothing is sacrificial and certainly not the aluminum structure of the car itself!

Keeping steel and aluminum separate is– no exaggeration– a full-time job. When I picked up the car, the Cochran staff walked me through their shop and explained to me how they have separate work areas and tools for aluminum parts. There are even large curtains to cordon off areas of the shop because even sanded metal grit can get airborne and into the structures and cause problems later. It’s an obsessive nightmare trying to work around all the weird metallurgy, but just another day at the office for these guys.

When the steel Torklift Ecohitch was first installed, it was separated from the aluminum structure of the Tesla by its coating. As the coating failed, the steel began to make a direct contact to the aluminum and it was eating away at the frame of the Tesla. The brownish-red rust of steel is then complimented by the white-grey ash of the galvanic corrosion. Warning! These pictures are a little disturbing (at least to me):

This was all done independent of the rust on the rest of the hitch and in a place completely obscured without removing the entire rear bumper, the rear crash bar and uninstalling the hitch.

For the past three years, we’d been garaging our car and pampering it with hand washes… but underneath a silent killer was consuming the rear bumper structure behind the hitch, and were it not for this accident repair we would never have known until… Well, I’m not even sure of all the ways it could have manifested.

Having seen the pictures, I was almost a little grateful that the car was hit. Now the condition was known and caught soon enough to be stopped. Even better, it wasn’t just me blindly trying to figure it out in my garage, but I was in the hands of Tesla-reconstruction experts. They knew all the procedures and had all the right tools and expertise to restore the car and preserve our ability to use the hitch for our bike rack and protect the car from further damage.  The Tesla’s ability to haul a family’s worth of bikes, without heavy lifting, was something I didn’t want to lose.

As luck would have it, we realized the seriousness of the hitch about the same time Cochran discovered Tesla had sent the wrong wiring harness for my new rear bumper. There was a production change made at some point that moved the parking sensors very slightly farther around the bumper. If you didn’t know it was different, I bet you’d never spot the difference– we sure didn’t! Anyway, Tesla had made the change but still managed to send the wrong harness and it couldn’t be adapted. While Serena waited, the Cochran team re-engineered the Torklift Ecohitch installation process.

They scraped down and cleaned up the entirety of the hitch, including every single bolt. All the parts were given a new durable coat of underbody paint.

The inside of the hitch bar was open and, unsure of how deep paint would penetrate, Cochran even sprayed a generous coating of body-sealing wax to keep it from rusting inside too.

The rear of the Tesla was also cleaned up. The rear panel was restored and the entire back side of the frame was repainted as well.

Hardware that was too far gone was replaced with new pieces and they created insulators to keep the hitch from ever touching the body again.

Insulating the bolts wasn’t enough, they also had to isolate the hitch mounting panels. They used a toolbox-lining type material to fabricate large pads to sandwich between the hitch and the rear of the Tesla. In the event the new paint ever wore off, there would still be a physical barrier between the two types of metal.

The good folks at Cochran even resprayed the backside of the steel Tesla bumper crash bar and the hitch’s cover, which had first tipped me off that something was going on in the dark insides of my bumper.

I did reach out to Torklift to see if there was any response or interest in this issue. Cochran had graciously waived most of the charges because my car was already apart for the collision repair, but it seemed reasonable to see if Torklift was willing to help out with what was left. They eventually responded it was their opinion that, essentially, “these things happen.” I was given a one-time offer to remove my hitch, ship it to Washington state (where Torklift is based) and they would repaint it and send it back for me to reinstall, with return shipping at my expense as well.

The initial response from Torklift was disappointing. The market rate to uninstall and reinstall the hitch would be about $300-400 each. The transit/repainting time would mean that, in addition to the $600-800 expense to mess with the hitch, I’d have to schedule two separate trips to a shop to have that work done. Add in the unknown costs to pack and ship a 40-pound chunk of steel across the country, TWICE. And for what? Based on the information I had, it seemed to be a promise of re-coating the hitch in the same finish that had failed and caused all this galvanic corrosion in the first place. Hardly a solution. They offered no alternative mounting instructions or showed any interest in further isolating their steel hitch from the aluminum structure of the Tesla, though it is possible that they did not understand the nature of the corrosion at that time.

So let this be a warning to any Tesla owner who has installed the Torklift Ecohitch. Your experience may vary, but there’s at least some chance that it is quietly eating your Tesla alive in the dark forgotten recesses of your car… completely out of your ability to casually inspect it.

If you’re contemplating a Torklift for your S, you’d be wise to work above and beyond the installation instructions and find a solution with your installer that will keep the hitch isolated from the structure of the car long-term.  While it remains the best option for adding a hitch to a Model S (which is why I chose to rehab mine rather than be without it), make sure you understand the implications of “just following the instructions.” Buyer beware.

UPDATE: After this review was posted, Torklift investigated the problems described and is changing their product as a result.  You can find their full response in the comments below. 

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Enter Smart Polish Pro. For the record, this is not a paid endorsement of the system. I was asked if I might be interested in trying their Waterless Wash & Wax system (I was) so I decided to share my experience with using the product.

Here’s my review.

Smart Polish Pro Waterless Wash & Wax

Smart Polish Pro is a waterless wash and wax system that almost sounds too good to be true. It claims to be quick, easy to use and wastes no water because it requires none at all. Color me curious. They describe the product’s formula as “one that safely lifts dirt and grime away from the surface using a clever emulsification process developed by our chemists.” The formula is applied directly onto the dirty vehicle and combines washing and waxing in one process which is perfect for a speedy clean!

After using it on our Multicoat Red Model S, I can say that this product is easy to use and leaves the car’s body panels looking great!

What I can’t say with any certainty is how long it has been since our Model S had a bath. I know her last wash wasn’t in the month of June so at least a month. She was adequately dirty, though certainly did not look like she just completed a mud race. Oh, and there was a fantastical splatter of bird waste that I can only describe as looking like a clumsy toddler lost their vanilla ice cream while standing next to the car.

To use the product, shake the bottle well then install the included trigger sprayer. You’ll need some microfiber cloths for this product. Spray it lightly on both the body panel and cloth #1, just one panel at a time. Wipe the area in a single direction, not in circles. Use your second cloth (clean, dry) to wipe again in a long, sweeping motion to buff and reveal the shine of the car. That’s it. Spray, wipe, then wipe again. Move along to the next body panel. This product is meant for painted exterior vehicle surfaces. Continue the process until the car is complete. Stand back and marvel at how shiny your car is.

My first thought was that the smell of the product, while not strong or easily identifiable, was pleasant. As the process continued, I had more thoughts including the realization that the drying step of washing a car is among the worst parts. This is especially true in hot or sunny weather where the real threat of it prematurely drying and leaving water marks exists. I’m sure all you sunny SoCal folks out there agree!

Smart Polish Pro’s Waterless Wash and Wax system product completely eliminates the need to use water and thus completely eliminates the threat of it drying too quickly and leaving spots behind. Perhaps you will think to yourself that you don’t get spots because you wash (with water) and dry your car one body panel at a time. I’d say to you: how do you find the time and how do you shield the completed body from water splashes when you spray your hose at the next panel? Oh you don’t use a hose? Refer to my first question about time.

It next became really apparent that even if you like to wash your car with water, this product would be a perfect solution for car shows, meet ups or photo shoots where your own water supply is not readily available. No matter how well you wash your car before you head to your destination, there’s a pretty good chance of encountering at least one of: dust, pollen, puddles, rain or bird waste on your way to show off your car. I’d also venture to say that if you are preparing a car for show to a potential buyer, this product is a great way to give it a quick clean up with extreme shine.

Speaking of shine, as I admired how shiny the car really was (and yes, made faces at myself while looking at my clear-enough-to-see-facial-blemishes reflection in the hood), I noticed that the Smart Polish Pro’s waterless wash and wax product left behind no residue. There was no film, streaks or spots to speak of. Take a look at a few after pictures and decide for yourself.

Bottom line: I’m glad a single bottle has enough product in it for at least 4 more uses because I’m already looking forward to using it again!

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“Tesla made changes to the safety belt in vehicles built after January with the intent of reducing the dummy’s forward movement,” IIHS said in a statement today. “However, when IIHS tested the modified Model S, the same problem occurred, and the rating didn’t change.”

The small overlap front test is meant to simulate crashes into trees, poles, and other vehicles. IIHS EVP & chief research officer David Zuby said that the small overlap front test still remains a “hurdle” for some vehicles, including vehicles with existing “stellar” ratings.

Tesla’s changes to the vehicle in January were largely focused on the seat belt, but inconsistent wheel movement in the test actually performed worse than the previous test vehicle. “Maximum intrusion increased from less than 2 inches to 11 inches in the lower part and to 5 inches at the instrument panel in the second test,” IIHS said in their statement.

Tesla responded to the report, saying that Model S received the highest rating in IIHS’s crash testing in every category except in the overlap front crash test, where it received the second highest rating available. “IIHS and dozens of other private industry groups around the world have methods and motivations that suit their own subjective purposes,” said a spokesperson from Tesla.

2017 Tesla Model S received an “acceptable” rating the IIHS on the small overlap front test (Photo: IIHS)

The test also damaged the front left portion on the battery pack, but the test vehicle didn’t contain battery cells in that area. The damage to the battery pack didn’t cause any changes to the rating.

“The greater deformation in the second test also resulted in damage to the left front corner of the battery case. The deformation was limited to an area that didn’t contain battery cells in the tested vehicle, so this damage didn’t affect the rating. Higher-performance variants of the Model S could have battery cells in this area, but, according to Tesla, they also have different structure. They haven’t been tested separately and aren’t covered by this rating.” reads the IIHS report.

IIHS tests also concluded that the Tesla Model S headlights earned a poor rating because they have yet to be rated for front crash prevention. The agency also noted that they were unable to test the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking system as Tesla only recently activated the feature via a software update.

Despite Model S’ top safety rating by the NHTSA, the person who oversaw the IIHS Model S crash test said, “If you’re looking for top-line safety, we believe there are other, better choices than the Model S.”

Vehicles winning the Top Safety Pick+ include the Lincoln Continental, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the Toyota Avalon. The Tesla Model S received the highest rating in every other category besides the small overlap front test. The Tesla Model X recently received a 5-star safety rating from the NHTSA.

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Avi and I had hung out months earlier at Tesla’s Gigafactory Grand Opening Event in Sparks, Nevada. It was during that event, amid a deluge of Tesla early adopters and their plus-ones on-site for bacon-wrapped weenies and free drinks, that I first learned of Unplugged Performance’s plan to begin producing the company’s Refresh Front Fascia kit. The Los Angeles-based carbon fiber-obsessed tuning company bills itself as the world leader in premium performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, and they were on a mission to transform the face of all nosecone-equipped “Classic” Model S cars into a modern-day look.

“There’s some Refresh Fascias getting installed in case you want to drop in,” reads the impromptu invite sent to me via text message. Avi had invited me to take a look at the first production batch of their new body kit. I have to see this thing, I think to myself. It helped that Los Angeles was eerily quiet with no signs of life at the time, which also meant no traffic.

Arriving at the shop and passing the familiar Tesla Design Center, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on display, and a near-complete Hyperloop test track, I come across two Model S vehicles staged side-by-side that couldn’t look more different.

“Can you believe these are the same cars?” says Ben Schaffer, CEO, and founder of Unplugged Performance. “Woah” is the only response that comes to mind. With camera in hand and thoughts of my apple fritter waiting for me back at home, I quickly begin snapping away at the polarizing duo.

Side-by-side comparison of a 2014 Tesla Model S fitted with Unplugged Performance’s Refresh Front Fascia (left) and the other in factory form (right)

Both vehicles are the same year and model except one’s outfitted with the company’s newest Refresh Front Fascia System. According to Unplugged Performance, Tesla Model S vehicles produced between 2012 and May 2016, with and without Autopilot hardware, are eligible for the $2,995 upgrade.

“Everything transfers over from your current car,” says Ben while filming a video the company was planning to publish that day. “Fits naturally, fits easily, looks like stock and everything just works! It’s been a very very long, challenging process to make something as perfect as we could.”

When asked about some of the key differentiators that set their kit apart from the official Tesla Model S body style, Ben is quick to point out that the team has incorporated more aggressive design elements including a built-in lower lip, while maintaining the general essence of a new Model S but with Unplugged Performance design cues. The company plans to develop a lower front lip spoiler, identical to the one molded into the Refresh Front Fascia system, for Model S vehicles with the newer body style.

Beyond the styling update, Ben notes that the team has painstakingly designed a system that will “just bolt right on.” From the factory Tesla emblem to the bumper supports and factory body clips, everything is designed to align perfectly, according to Ben. They’ve even gone as far as building a quick-release mechanism that will provide access to the vehicle’s often problematic 12V battery, in the event of an emergency that requires access to the jump-start terminals. Access is typically gained through the removal of the plastic nose cone.

At this point, Avi returns and welcomes me into the shop so that I can bear witness to the process of transforming an older Model S into a new one. “You’re going to see the first-ever Refresh front fascia retrofit.”

What followed over the next hour was a team of two working on installing Unplugged’s new kit. Sensing some trepidation among the workers performing the retrofit – the technicians later told me that it was their first time installing a production piece onto a customer car – quickly faded as factory components, piece by piece, began to bolt seamlessly onto the Refresh Front Fascia System.

The result was nothing short of amazing. After roughly 50-minutes of work, the familiar appearance of a Model S that’s been around for four years suddenly rose with new life. I can hear the guys working on the vehicle joke about the Model S receiving a $50k upgrade, referring to the price difference between a used “Classic” Model S and one with the new body style.

I’ve provided some photos showing the unpainted Refresh Front Fascia being installed onto the Model S.

Unplugged Performance tells me that they aim to break away from the traditional mold of the modern-day tuner that, arguably, rides the Tesla train to turn a quick buck. Instead of producing smaller, high-volume accessories, Unplugged Performance aims to stay focused on producing high-end premium modifications for the smaller subset of discerning owners that might be looking for something a little more unique, and won’t mind paying for it.

“Can you come home now?” reads a text message sent over an hour ago from my better half. “We need to take your parents out to eat. They’re hungry.”

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Perhaps best known for its iconic red calipers often found on exotic sports cars and luxury vehicles including the Model S and Model X, Brembo’s new factory in Mexico will focus efforts on producing high performance aluminum calipers for Tesla and other U.S. and European automakers that manufacture vehicles in the states. “Our desire is to localize as much as possible,” says Daniel Sandberg, president and CEO of Brembo North America.

Brembo’s Escobedo plant will be capable of making 2 million calipers annually while a second 269,000-square-foot factory, to be constructed next to the caliper plant, will manufacture 100,000 tons of cast iron brake discs. The second plant is expected to go into operation by the end of 2017.

Tesla Red Brake Calipers made by Brembo available only on the P100D. As seen in the Tesla Design Studio.

Having a plant closer to Tesla’s Fremont, Calif. factory is part of the Italian company’s strategic initiative to localize products and service to its customers. Aside from Tesla, Brembo also supplies brake systems to General Motors, Ford, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes Benz.

According to Mexico Now, Brembo’s Escobedo plant will also be producing the electronically actuated parking brake and handbrakes currently used in the Tesla Model S, Model X, and presumably over 373,000 Model 3 to come.

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However, a popular DIY project among Tesla owners that adds a stylish accent to the exterior of the vehicle involves the application of colored vinyl to the vehicle’s Tesla badge, wheel cap and turn signal indicators. Consider it a wrap job for select components of the vehicle as opposed to the entire car itself. It’s cost effective, easy to apply and just as easily removable.

Here’s a great video tutorial on how to create your very own custom decal for the Tesla turn signal indicator. The same process can be used for creating custom decals for the Tesla badge, vehicle model badge, wheel center cap and beyond.

• Step 1 – Take photo of Tesla component
• Step 2 – Import photo of Tesla component
• Step 3 – Choose color and style of decal
• Step 4 – Print decal using vinyl cutter
• Step 5 – Apply homemade custom vinyl wrap to Tesla component

Because vinyl cutting equipment can be costly to purchase, local print shops often times allow customers to email in their design templates – in the case the file produced from Step 3 – and will print the decal from their equipment.

Popular Tesla DIY Projects

• Equipping a Tesla Model X with BlackVue’s Full HD dashcam
• Tesla Model S BlackVue HD Dashcam Installation Guide
• Tesla Model S Lighted T Installation Instructions
• Review: Tesla LED License Plate Bulb Kit
• Upgrading Tesla Model X lighting with Ultra-Bright LEDs
• Tesla Model S Standard Audio Speaker Upgrade by Light Harmonic
• How to Replace the Tesla Key Fob Battery

See all Tesla DIY projects.

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