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.
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.
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.