- Tesla China sells the Model Y light kit for $220, with installation included in the price.
- The system links to the EV’s infotainment screen and allows customizable colors.
- There’s no word on whether it will be offered in other markets, such as the US.
A decade ago, who could’ve guessed that carmakers would turn dimly-lit cabins into a battleground of LED excess? Yet here we are—ambient lighting is everywhere now. The popularity of these systems shows no signs of abating, and they can be found in everything from cheap hatchbacks to premium saloons and SUVs. To cash in on the demand for these systems, Tesla is offering an ambient light upgrade kit for the Model Y, though there’s a catch; it appears to be available only in China.
Perhaps unbeknownst to many Model Y owners in the US, examples of the electric SUV built and sold in China were updated last year to include a strip of configurable ambient lighting running across the dashboard. Now, Tesla is selling an ambient lighting kit for Model Ys assembled between January 22, 2022, and October 1, 2023, before the kit was included as standard.
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There are plenty of universal aftermarket ambient lighting kits, but Tesla’s option is a little more extensive. Not only does it add an LED strip to the dashboard, but it also replaces the wooden dash insert in favor of a gray textile area. The kit syncs up to the car’s infotainment display and can be configured to display any imaginable color.
Tesla Model Y owners in China can order the ambient lighting kit for 1,599 yuan, or the equivalent of $220, and this includes installation fees. Something tells us that such an option, especially at this price tag, would have become hugely popular in the States.
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For now, there’s no word on whether or not this kit will eventually be offered in the United States next year, but even if it’s not, the Model Y could get ambient lighting soon enough. As part of the Model 3’s mid-life facelift, Tesla designed a strip of ambient lighting across its dashboard and door panels. In all likelihood, the heavily-revised Model Y, currently known as the Juniper, will get a similar LED array at launch.
In the meantime, American owners will just have to admire the glow from afar or dig into the aftermarket scene for a DIY solution. Either way, the days of dark car interiors are well behind us. Whether that’s a step forward or just a new form of distraction is, of course, up for debate.
