Tesla Model S Plaid Screen Test: Can It Be Hooked Up In Model Y?

This guy has a Tesla Plaid screen and it uses the same connector as the Model 3/Y. Will it work?

By: Steven Loveday

Jun 30, 2021 at 11:55am ET

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Erik Strait from YouTube channel DAErik always has all sorts of neat stuff. In this video, he shows off the Tesla Model S Plaid's touchscreen, though it's not actually in a car. He previously borrowed a friend's Plaid to show off the interior features and touchscreen, but now he has something much more interesting planned.

Strait actually bought a refreshed Model S replacement touchscreen. He assumes this may be the first replacement screen Tesla has sold for the new 2021 Model S and Model X, and he bought it just to test it out and do an experiment. Strait said the screen cost him a whopping $1,900.

The touchscreen in the new Tesla Model S Plaid (and Long Range) is horizontally mounted (landscape orientation) and tablet-like, similar to the screen in the Model Y and 3, though a bit larger. Outgoing Model S and X vehicles have a vertically mounted 17-inch display. The Model 3 and Y have a 15-inch landscape display. Now, the refreshed Model S and X come with a 17-inch landscape display, as well as another touchscreen for rear-seat passengers.

First, Strait takes the new Model S screen inside an older Model S to see how it compares side-by-side. He does the same by taking the new touchscreen into a Model Y. Following these comparisons, it starts to get really interesting.

Strait noticed that one of the connectors on the back of the Model S screen is the same connector used in the Model Y. This means he can actually hook up the Model S screen inside the Model Y. However, there's a second connector, and he has no idea what it's for.

He wonders, will the Model S screen function properly in the Model Y? Will it brick the car? Could people potentially drop $1,900 on a replacement Model S screen and then retrofit it into their Model 3 or Y?