Interior Electronics

USB Ports

Model S has five USB ports:

Two USB ports are located in the front compartment of the center console. These can be used to charge USB devices and to play audio files from a phone or USB device (see Playing Media from Devices).
Two USB ports are located below the rear touchscreen that can be used to charge USB devices.
One USB port is located inside the glovebox. This port is equipped with a USB flash drive. The secure location of this USB port makes it ideal for saving Sentry Mode and Dashcam video footage.

The USB ports can output power up to approximately 27W (which may vary depending on vehicle manufacture date).

See USB Drive Requirements for Recording Videos for information about formatting USB flash drives.

To access the front USB ports, open the front compartment of the center console. The front USB ports are located on the rear wall of the compartment:

Front console with front compartment open, revealing two USB ports on rear wall of compartment

Rear USB ports are located below the rear touchscreen:

Two USB ports below the rear touchscreen

Glovebox USB port:

Glovebox open, revealing a USB drive in the USB port

Note

Power is available when the vehicle is in use or detects that a user is present. A user is considered present when a person is in the driver seat or interacts with the touchscreen. Leaving an accessory plugged in does not deplete the low voltage battery.

Note

Use USB 3.0 compliant cables to connect a device to a USB port. Using non-compliant cables can result in slower charging, potential connection problems or degraded performance.

Note

Do not connect multiple devices using a USB hub. This can prevent connected devices from charging or from being recognized by Media Player, Sentry Mode, Dashcam, etc.

Wireless Phone Chargers

Wireless phone chargers are integrated into the front console and rear armrest, providing up to 15W of power to charge Qi-enabled phones. To charge your phone, place it on one of the two charge pads. The phone must be in direct contact with the wireless charger. Your device may feel warm while charging, but this is a normal effect of inductive charging.

CAUTION

Before you charge, remove any objects (coins, keys, metal objects, etc.) between the phone and charger, as well as any NFC cards (for example, the vehicle key card, credit cards, or hotel key) placed on or behind the phone (like with integrated phone cases). Damage to NFC cards can occur when you charge the phone without first removing the card.

When placed on the wireless charger, your phone charges whenever the vehicle is powered on (the touchscreen is on and you are in the vehicle). Your phone does not charge when you leave the vehicle unless a feature, such as Keep Climate On, Dog Mode, Camp Mode, or Sentry Mode is enabled.

Note

The wireless phone charger may not work if your phone case is too thick or is made of metal. Try removing the phone from its case before placing it on the charger.

Note

The wireless phone charger does not charge if the vehicle's high voltage Battery is discharged.

Low Voltage Power Socket

Your Model S has a power socket located in the center console's compartment. To access the low voltage socket, open the front compartment of the center console.

Center console with arm rest lifted, revealing power socket in the compartment

The power socket is suitable for accessories requiring up to 12A continuous draw (16A peak).

Note

Power is available when the vehicle is in use or detects that a user is present. A user is considered present when a person is in the driver seat or interacts with the touchscreen. Leaving an accessory plugged in does not deplete the low voltage battery.

Warning

The power socket and an accessory’s connector can become hot.

Warning

To prevent excessive interference with the vehicle’s electronics, Tesla recommends that you do not plug any non-Tesla accessories, including power inverters, into the low voltage power socket. However, if you do use a non-Tesla accessory and notice any malfunctions or unexpected behavior, such as indicator lights, alert messages, or excessive heat from the accessory, unplug the accessory from the low voltage power socket immediately.

Note

A power inverter plugged into the low voltage power socket must support 16V DC input to function.

CAUTION

Do not attempt to jump start Model S using the low voltage power socket. Doing so can result in damage.

Active Road Noise Reduction

Model S is equipped with Active Road Noise Reduction which reduces low-frequency road noise while driving on rough surfaces. To accomplish this, the vehicle uses the seat microphones to measure noise in the cabin, then generates anti-noise through the speakers to intelligently create quiet zones around each occupant depending on vehicle and environmental factors.

Front row seats with areas in either side of the head supported shaded blue

To turn Active Road Noise Reduction on or off, open the Media Player and touch Audio Settings icon > Options > Active Road Noise Reduction (the audio settings icon shows an equalizer with three vertical lines). This may require several minutes of driving time to calibrate before enabling.

Note

To ensure active noise reduction operates effectively, avoid covering the microphones (with seat covers, etc.). Active Road Noise Reduction may disable if a window is rolled down, door is open, or the fan is turned up.

CAUTION

To prevent damage to these microphones when cleaning, do not over-saturate the area of the seats where the microphones are located.