Reviews
Review: Tesla Model X Cubby Compartment by EVANNEX
The Tesla Model X and Model S contains a small storage shelf located directly beneath the vehicle’s large 17″ touchscreen often referred to as the “cubby”. It’s a location designed with storage in mind. Storage for items such as sunglasses, wallets, cell phones, and small miscellaneous personal belongings no bigger than a deck of cards will make its way into the often underutilized space.
But despite being able to make use out of what is essentially dead space beneath the center stack, items would often slide out of the cubby while the car was in motion, especially under acceleration. Belongings inside the cubby also sit in plain sight of potentially prying eyes. EVANNEX aims to address both of those issues with its new Cubby Compartment available for both the Model S and X.
I had a chance to take a closer look at how the Cubby Compartment works on a Model X.
Installation
No tools needed.
1.) First, I made sure the shelf where the Cubby Compartment will reside was clean and empty. I suggest dusting off the cubby and wiping clean the inside wall of the cubby because this is where you’ll need to stick a magnetic plate that’s needed to secure the Cubby Compartment in place.
2.) Remove the white tape backing for the magnetic plate and insert the Cubby Compartment all the way into the shelf
3.) Remove the Cubby Compartment from the shelf. At this point the adhesive-backed magnetic plate should be stuck to the back of the shelf space. Hand press the magnetic plate again making sure the magnetic plate sticks to the rear interior wall.
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4.) Slide the Cubby back into the shelf.
Fitment
Once the Cubby Compartment is secured into place using the neodymium magnet, the unit is surprisingly secure with no play from side to side.
Quality
I choose the Obeche Wood Gloss finish which matches my Model X perfectly. The front surface looks exactly like the factory trim down to the door handle which mirrors the brushed aluminum look of the interior cabin of the Model X. My wife couldn’t even tell it it was a non-factory item and amusingly thought it had been there all along until I pointed out that it was an aftermarket piece.
It’s worth noting that the Cubby Compartment is made out of relatively thin ABS plastic. One can argue that plastic is waterproof and easy to clean, but given the premium nature of the Model X, the general feel of the Cubby Compartment doesn’t match the interior quality of the Tesla. In place, however, it’s indistinguishable by appearance, but you can certainly feel, and hear, what sliding plastic on plastic yields.
Test
To test how strong the neodymium magnet will hold up during sudden acceleration, I came up with two scenarios: first with the Cubby Compartment empty and another with it full of contents, including a smart phone, sunglasses, a fabric cloth cleaner, and a tire gauge.
I did five rounds each where I started from a complete stop and floored it. Much to my surprise, the tiny magnet was able to keep the compartment in place through all 10 rounds of testing. When the cubby was full of “stuff,” the non-slip liner even prevented the contents from sliding around.
My one gripe is that I wished the small aluminum handle was sized just a little bit bigger for easier grip. I think my fingers are normal sized for a guy and even with that I found myself having a difficult time pulling the Cubby Compartment out. After a few attempts, I soon realized that gripping the handles on either end as opposed to pinching it from the top and bottom worked the best.
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Keep in mind that the manufacturer designed the Cubby Compartment to slide completely out of the shelf with no stops. So if you pull it too far, the entire compartment along with all of the belongings will come all the way out.
Summary
The Cubby Compartment for the Model X and Model S is available in Piano Black, Obeche Wood Gloss, Obeche Wood Matte, real Carbon Fiber at a starting price of $149.99, Though the trim matches perfectly with Tesla’s factory finish, the price is a bit steep for what you get. The manufacturer also offers a Satin Black finish that works beautifully for those Model X owners who have the Figured Ash Wood and Dark Ash Wood interior trim finishes.
Overall, the things I love about the Cubby Compartment is the OEM look and feel, the small but very effective magnet to keep it in place, and the fact that it maximizes the space below the touchscreen while concealing it.
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News
Tesla’s AI Chief just hinted at something big for FSD v14 lite owners
Tesla’s AI chief suggests the newest FSD v14 Lite build may finally go wide release.
Tesla’s head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, noted on Sunday that the newest FSD v14 Lite build rolling out to Hardware 3 cars is likely the version that goes to wide release, the strongest signal yet that Tesla is near to closing out an early access phase that Hardware 3 owners have waited more than a year for.
Elluswamy made the comment in response to an extensive review from Tesla owner Zack, known on X as @BLKMDL3, who tested software version 2026.20.6.10 and detailed the changes in a lengthy post. “FSD v14 Lite (for Tesla AI3 hardware vehicles) review.
The update restarts a rollout that had stalled after its initial release. Tesla began pushing FSD v14 Lite to Hardware 3 early access drivers on June 29, bringing driving behavior learned on the newer Hardware 4 computer down to the more limited chip that has powered Tesla vehicles built between 2019 and early 2023. That release, as we covered in detail, gave roughly 4 million HW3 vehicles their first meaningful update since being frozen on version 12.6 in early 2025.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ Release Notes: new capabilities and features
The latest build adds features that bring Hardware 3 closer in line with what Hardware 4 owners already have. FSD can now start directly from park without a brake pedal confirmation, a change Zack called a small but meaningful quality of life improvement. The interface also picks up the blue “P” park icon, approaching destination alerts, and a dedicated Self-Driving app with streak tracking, all details previously exclusive to the AI4 branch of v14, as outlined in Tesla’s original release notes.
The stakes around Hardware 3 go beyond software polish. Tesla sold the Full Self-Driving package for years on the promise that every vehicle equipped with it had the hardware needed to eventually drive itself without supervision. That promise broke down during Tesla’s Q1 2026 earnings call, when Musk acknowledged HW3 cars could not run unsupervised FSD, prompting Tesla to offer trade-in discounts and hardware retrofits alongside the Lite software track.
Tesla confirmed HW3 can’t do Unsupervised FSD but there’s more to the story
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Tesla has continued to frame v14 Lite as the primary path forward for the HW3 fleet, telling owners in April that international markets would follow the U.S. rollout once regulatory approvals came through. For now, HW3 owners in the early access group are the only ones running the new build. A broader rollout would mark the second major software delivery to the legacy fleet since Tesla first released FSD v14 to Hardware 4 vehicles, and the first sign since June that the Lite program is still moving rather than stuck in early access limbo.
The Tesla Model Y has won U.S. News award for “Best Luxury Electric SUV,” beating out a heavy lineup of worthy battery-powered sport utility vehicles.
The Model Y first was delivered to owners in early 2020 and was the automaker’s answer to the widely-popular crossover SUV sector. A sibling of the first mass-market vehicle the company offered, the Model 3, Tesla’s Model Y has quickly become the company’s best-selling electric car, and that’s saying something considering it is not the most affordable Tesla vehicle and starts at $62,990.
U.S. News recognizes Tesla’s influence in the changing automotive market, identifying that it was likely the catalyst in bringing EVs to mainstream status. Despite the rapid expansion of the EV segment, Tesla has remained at the top of the hill, fending off worthy competitors like Volkswagen, Ford, and General Motors, who have spent decades developing some of the best automotive technology the world has seen. However, Tesla has also managed to stay above tech-focused and savvy automotive startups entering the electric sector, with battery powertrains being their only focus. Rivian and Lucid, two of the most notable names to fit that description, still have not managed to catch up with Tesla.
The Model Y effectively expanded Tesla’s product line to include a new body style. While the Model X has been offered for seven years, the falcon-wing door-equipped SUV is still only produced for sentimental reasons, according to CEO Elon Musk. It also is much more expensive than the Model Y, and starts at $114,990.
Tesla plans to produce Model Ys with both 4680 and 2170 cells at Gigafactory Texas this year
Those who do not quite have the means to spend over $100,000 on an all-electric SUV have plenty of options, but if a consumer is looking for luxury, the Model Y may be the best choice. U.S. News highlights that, while the Model Y does offer less overall cargo and utility room than the Model X, it still boasts many of the same tech features that Tesla has been known to put in its cars. The Model Y has plenty of performance too, and its premier trim level will get you from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.5 seconds, while still having over 300 miles of range and a 155 MPH top speed.
“Despite the onslaught of new competitors, the Tesla Model Y is one of the most capable and well-rounded luxury electric SUVs that you can buy at the moment,” U.S. News writes. “If you’re in the market, this is an option that’s well-worth a test drive.”
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I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
The Tesla Model Y has captured Cars.com’s “Best Electric Vehicle of 2022” award, beating out several worthy competitors to be named the best EV of the year.
The Model Y is Tesla’s newest addition to its purchasable fleet of vehicles, and the first all-electric crossover to come out of the Fremont factory in Northern California. Tesla developed the Model Y to be a mass-market vehicle capable of handling a variety of tasks. Not only is the vehicle lightning fast in typical Tesla fashion, but it also packs enough cargo space to give full-sized SUVs something to sweat about. It is truly Tesla’s most well-rounded vehicle, suitable for nearly any lifestyle and at a price point that won’t break the bank.
“Tesla is an electric car innovator, and the Model Y reflects that leadership with its efficiency, charging capability, range, and options,” Cars.com’s synopsis of the Model Y said. “It checks a lot of boxes for consumers who have been considering making the jump to an EV.”
The Tesla Model Y. (Credit: MotorTrend)
EVs are still a small slice of the overall passenger vehicle market in the United States. While EV adoption is continuing to grow at a fast rate, Cars.com says that about a third of active car shoppers are considering an electric vehicle. Additionally, the site stated that occurrences of searching for an EV on Cars.com have doubled in the past year, while inventory levels of EVs have dropped 30 percent since 2021, showing there is plenty of interest from consumers.
The Model Y may be one of the most appealing options for those who are considering switching to an EV from a gas car. Cars.com notes the Model Y’s incredible efficiency, which is paired with 326 miles of EPA-rated range in the Long Range All-Wheel Drive variant. Not only will the Model Y get you to where you need to go in a minimal number of charging stops, but it also gets better with age. The vehicle, like the rest of Tesla’s fleet, receives Over-the-Air software updates to upgrade vehicle capabilities, fix bugs, or increase performance.
The Model Y is also great for those who have a focus on purchasing cars with a focus on American manufacturing. The vehicle was ranked third on the 2021 American-Made Index, trailing its sibling in the Tesla Model 3 and Ford Mustang.
Cars.com’s list is void of the Lucid Air, Rivian R1T, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6. The publication noted demand and production growth of electric vehicles will allow more models to be considered for the award in the future.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
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