Vehicle Guide

Which Beat-Sonic Tesla Kit Fits Your Model: TESLM1, TESLM2 or the Digital Rearview E-Mirror

A Tesla does not have a stereo you can replace. There is no double DIN slot behind the dash, no head unit under a trim panel, and none of the conventional wiring that every other install on this site plugs into. The touchscreen and the computer behind it are the car. So the question is not which stereo to install, it is what you can put on the screen you already have, and how you see behind you when the cabin is full.

Why a Tesla upgrade is not a stereo install

On a Toyota or a Lexus there is a factory head unit, a factory amplifier and a stack of connectors an adapter can sit between. That is why plug and play work is possible at all. A Tesla has none of that. The screen is a terminal for the vehicle computer, and audio, climate, drive settings and navigation all live inside the same software.

There is no double DIN opening to fill and no OEM radio connector to intercept, which is why you will not find a Tesla stereo replacement from any reputable brand. What is left is narrower and more honest. You can change what appears on the factory screen, and you can improve the view out the back. That is what our three Tesla products do.

Mirroring is not CarPlay, and we will not pretend otherwise

Tesla is the one major automaker that has never offered Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. That single fact drives most of the searches that land people on this page. Owners want their maps and their podcasts on the big screen the way every other new car does it, and they go looking for a box that adds it.

Here is the honest part most listings skip. The TESLM1 and TESLM2 are screen mirroring kits, not native CarPlay or Android Auto. Native CarPlay is a protocol the carmaker builds into the infotainment system, and no aftermarket module can add a protocol the vehicle software does not support. What these kits do instead is put the video and audio coming out of your phone onto the factory screen, at up to 1080p, with sound through the Tesla's Bluetooth sound system.

In practice that covers most of what people wanted: Apple Maps, Google Maps, YouTube, Netflix and more on the car's display instead of on a phone clipped to a vent. What it is not is a Tesla with a CarPlay button. For some owners that distinction matters, and it is better to know now than after the box arrives.

Video playback and state law

Video on a screen visible to the driver while the vehicle is moving is restricted in many states, and the rules vary. Watch video parked, and treat the moving car as a maps and audio device.

TESLM1: Model S 2012-2021 and Model X 2016-2021

The TESLM1 is the mirroring kit for the older, larger cars: the 2012-2021 Model S and the 2016-2021 Model X. It puts an iPhone or Android phone on the factory screen, Apple Maps, Google Maps, YouTube, Netflix and more, at up to 1080p, with audio through the Tesla's Bluetooth sound system.

It installs without modifying the factory harness and it is fully reversible. Nothing is cut, nothing is spliced, and your backup camera and phone calls are unaffected.

Three caveats, stated plainly. The TESLM1 is not compatible with horizontal screen configurations, so if your car has the horizontal layout rather than the tall portrait screen, this is not your kit. Within those model years it is compatible with all AP and MCU versions, so you do not need to work out which MCU generation you have. The exception is AP0 cars. If yours is AP0, send us a photo of your OBD2 port before ordering and we will confirm the fit.

TESLM2: Model 3 and Model Y 2017-2023

The TESLM2 is the same capability set for the 2017-2023 Model 3 and Model Y. Phone screen on the factory display at up to 1080p, audio through the Tesla's Bluetooth sound system, no factory harness modification, fully reversible, backup camera and phone calls untouched.

The caveat here is the most important line on this page for Model 3 and Model Y owners. The TESLM2 is HW3 only. It is not compatible with HW4. Tesla began building HW4 cars around May to June of 2023, which makes a late 2023 car the risky one. An early 2023 build is almost certainly HW3, a car built after the changeover is not, and the model year alone does not tell you which side of the line you are on.

How to check whether you have HW3

You can confirm it yourself from the driver's seat. On the touchscreen, go to Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information. The computer version is listed there. If it says HW3, the TESLM2 fits. If it says HW4, it does not, and no adapter changes that. Check it before you order. It takes a minute and it saves a return.

Digital Rearview E-Mirror for the 2017-2023 Model Y

This one solves a physical problem rather than a software one. Load a Model Y for a weekend with the rear seats up, stack a couple of duffels and a cooler above the parcel shelf line, and the rear glass stops being a window. Put four adults in it and the mirror shows you two headrests and a sliver of sky.

The Digital Rearview E-Mirror adds a discreet second camera alongside the factory rear camera and feeds an HD, high frame rate signal to a digital mirror display. You get a clear view of the road behind you regardless of what is in the cabin. It installs with no cutting and no splicing, in a custom fit enclosure, and the factory mirror function is retained with a flip switch, so it is still an ordinary mirror whenever you want one.

Honest positioning: this is the priciest of the three by a comfortable margin, and it is worth it mostly to people who actually load the car. If your Model Y usually carries two people and an empty cargo area, the factory mirror is already doing its job. If you camp, haul gear or drive with a full back seat, you will notice this one every trip.

Which one do I need

• Model S 2012-2021 or Model X 2016-2021: the TESLM1, as long as your car does not have a horizontal screen. AP0 owners, send us an OBD2 port photo first.
• Model 3 or Model Y 2017-2023: the TESLM2, once you have confirmed HW3 on the touchscreen. If it reads HW4, we do not have a kit for your car.
• Model Y 2017-2023 that you actually load: the Digital Rearview E-Mirror. It is independent of the mirroring kits, and it covers the 2017-2023 Model Y. Confirm your exact year on the product page, or send us your VIN and we will check it for you.
• Any Tesla outside those years: we do not currently have a fit. Confirm your exact year and trim on the product page, or send us your VIN and we will check it for you.

What we do not make for Tesla

Most of what Beat-Sonic builds does not apply to a Tesla, and it is worth saying so directly. Our Encore amplifier kits sit between a factory head unit and factory speakers on a specific OEM connector. Our CS series front camera interfaces inject video into a factory screen through a factory camera path. Our ShiftPower modules plug into a specific accelerator pedal connector. All three depend on connectors Tesla does not use.

So if you came here looking for a plug and play Tesla amplifier, a Tesla front camera interface, a Tesla sound deadening kit or a ShiftPower module for a Tesla, we do not have one. We are not going to sell you something that does not fit and let you find out in your driveway.

Tesla upgrades at a glance

Confirmed fitment

Every part on this page that we have confirmed for this platform, with the exact years. This table is generated from our live product catalog, so it reflects what we have on file today rather than what was true when the guide was written. If your exact year or trim is not listed, send us your VIN and we will check it for you.

Smartphone Mirroring Kit for 2012-2021 Tesla Model S & Model X - Beat-Sonic USA TESLM1

Smartphone Mirroring Kit for 2017-2023 Tesla Model 3 & Model Y - Beat-Sonic USA TESLM2

Digital Rearview E-Mirror for 2017-2023 Tesla Model Y - Beat-Sonic USA

Search every part by year, make and model, or send us your VIN and we will confirm the fit before you order.