Tesla Model X and Model S Infotainment screens twisting mechanism Model X Teslas twisting screens on the Model S and Model X vehicles have been officially granted patents. The patent, called a double-axis rotating mechanism, is for screens in Teslas high-end Model S and Model X vehicles. This new capability comes from the Dual Axis Rotation Mechanism, which is used for the ability to turn Model S and Tesla Model X screens, according to Tesmanium.
Tesla Model X and Model S
The infotainment screen for rear passengers is not the only new update to come in 2023 with Tesla Model X and Model S, but it is, as we mentioned, a welcome one.
Last year, Tesla started offering an official $2500 infotainment upgrade, which replaces the media units within older Model S and Model X cars, so owners can get new features such as the Tesla Theatre, as well as a more responsive central display.
Tesla changed the media unit inside the Tesla Model S and Model X to a higher-powered unit in 2018, and a couple major recent software updates introduced many new features that required more computing power than the MCUs inside older Tesla vehicles had.
The purchase and installation of a secondary radio upgrade is available for vehicles that already received the Infotainment upgrade. Model S and Tesla Model X owners built in March 2018 or earlier are eligible for the purchase of the Infotainment Upgrade, which provides access to some of our favorite features, such as streaming video and Teslas expanded Arcade, as well as more responsive, faster touch screen experiences. This also gives us hope that existing Tesla models may be able to potentially qualify for the long-needed upgrade as well.
We do not know exactly when Tesla would choose to formally announce such a change to 2023 model year Teslas. Fear not, because Tesla has heard the Tesla fans out there, and has decided to provide a much-needed update for both Model S and X in 2023.
It is truly fascinating that Tesla installed this way before patents were granted, and way before this functionality was implemented in all of Teslas vehicles. I would imagine that the mechanism will also be working on Model 3 and Model Y, and also on future Cybertrucks and Tesla Roadsters.
The missing piece, which was the model-S plaid-out mechanic by auto designer Sandy Munro, means Tesla will ultimately be improving on this piece at some point down the line. While a few components were already installed that allowed for pivoting of the central screen, others were missing, suggesting Tesla will make improvements in the future on the Model S.
While disassembling a Tesla Model S plaid, Sandy Munro found the hidden mechanisms of the central screen, which could be turned up or down, and towards you, to allow better viewing.