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The Tesla Model S is Using Mercedes-Benz Switchgear

It never occurred to us before because, just like pretty much everyone else, we never really paid much attention to certain details of the Tesla Model S interior except for the ginormous 17 inch touchscreen display that comprises the center console.
Original Image by Tesla Motors, Edited by autoevolution 4 photos
Photo: Tesla Motors
Tesla Model S InteriorTesla Model S InteriorMercedes-Benz E-Class W212 Pre-Facelift Interior
By accident, if you like, we were recently checking out the interior of the American electric car when we noticed some unusual switches and buttons.

We say “unusual” not because they're analog and not based on a display screen like the big hunk of LCD in the middle of the dashboard, but because they are extremely familiar.

The reason for their familiarity is because they don't look similar but are actually identical to ones found in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212 pre-facelift.

The transmission gear lever on the steering column and the windows switches are taken straight from the Mercedes-Benz, and they're the only ones we found visible, because we have a feeling that the sticks with which you control the turn signals and the cruise control system are also borrowed from the E-Class.

Considering the rather close relationship between Tesla Motors and Daimler AG we aren't very surprised, but we're also wondering if there are other Mercedes-branded parts in the Tesla Model S also.

The cup holders you can see in one of the two Model S photos can also be found in the Mercedes-Benz M-Class W164, for example.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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