Your First Tesla: A Practical Checklist for the First Week

Most first-Tesla guides answer a different question: which Tesla to buy. This guide is for the day after: what to set up in the first week, based on Tesla's owner's manuals, and which accessories are worth buying first. Your own manual has the final word for your car, and menus can change with software updates.

Day 1: keys

Tesla's manual describes three kinds of keys:

• Phone key. Your phone, through the Tesla app and Bluetooth. It locks and unlocks the car automatically as you walk up and away. Tesla says Bluetooth must be on, the app needs location access set to "Always", Allow Mobile Access must be on in the car, and you must stay logged in to your Tesla account.
• Key card. A backup for when your phone's battery is dead or the phone is lost. You tap it on the card reader on the driver's side door pillar, then press the brake within two minutes to drive. Tesla says not to leave a key card in the car.
• Key fob. An optional key with buttons for locking, unlocking and the trunks.

Tesla's advice is to bring a key with you when you drive, and to carry a backup such as a key card, because a phone key can fail when the phone's battery is low. Some recent manuals no longer promise two key cards with every new car, so check what came with yours. You can add more keys under Controls > Locks > Keys.

Day 1: a driver profile

Create a driver profile so the seat, mirrors and steering position return to your settings, and link it to your phone key. If two people drive the car, give each one a profile. Our steering wheel guide also covers what Tesla says about anything fitted over the wheel.

Day 2: charging at home

Most charging happens at home, overnight. You have three common options: a wall charger installed by an electrician, a portable charger plugged into a suitable outlet, or a standard outlet for slow top-ups. Newer cars don't always come with a portable charger, so check before you count on one. Our guide to portable Tesla chargers: 3.5 kW or 7 kW explains how to choose, and charging adapters explained covers public chargers that use a different plug.

Day 3: Dashcam and Sentry Mode

Your Tesla's cameras can record while you drive and while it's parked, but only to a USB drive. Tesla asks for at least 64 GB with a sustained write speed of at least 4 MB/s, in the glovebox port if your car has one. Look in the glovebox first: many newer cars come with a drive. Our Dashcam and Sentry Mode setup guide walks through it.

Day 4: tires

Set the tires to the pressure on the label on the driver's door pillar, measured cold. Tesla says pressure drops about 1 psi for every 10°F (6°C) drop in temperature, so recheck when the weather changes. Our TPMS guide explains the warnings, and what to do with a flat tire explains why most Teslas have no spare.

Day 5: safety basics

• The manual door release. Learn where it is in the front and rear doors, in case the car has no power. Read where the rear door emergency release is.
• The lift points. A Tesla may only be lifted at the points in the manual, never under the battery. Read where the lift points are and how to lift a Tesla safely.
• No seat covers. Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y manuals say not to use seat covers, because of the airbags in the front seats. Read what Tesla says about seat covers.

Your first-week checklist

The first accessories worth buying

1. All-weather floor and trunk mats. They protect the carpet from the first rainy day. Read how to choose Tesla floor mats.
2. A screen protector, if you want one. Read glass or matte, and how to install it.
3. A phone mount, placed where it doesn't block the screen or the airbags. Read which phone holder to choose.
4. A jack pad to keep in the trunk for tire shops.
5. A glass roof sunshade, if you live somewhere hot. Read do roof sunshades work.

Shaped parts are made for specific versions, so check whether your car is a Model Y Juniper or a Model 3 Highland before you order.

What can wait

Organizers, console film, pedal covers and other cosmetic upgrades are easier to choose after a few weeks, once you know where things end up in your car. Our guide to where to keep small things in a new Model 3 or Model Y helps when you get there.

Before you buy any accessory

1. Know your exact version and year. Accessories for the 2020–2024 Model Y don't fit the Juniper, and accessories for the 2017–2023 Model 3 don't fit the Highland.
2. Read your manual's warnings about airbags, seat covers and anything fitted to the steering wheel.
3. Read the fit in each listing. We show each product's fit as the seller lists it.
4. Warranty. In the edition of Tesla's New Vehicle Limited Warranty that we read (Qatar, effective July 2024), non-genuine parts and accessories, and their installation, are not covered, and damage linked to their installation or use is excluded. Editions differ by region, so read yours.

First week at a glance

What we list

These are products from third-party sellers, not made by Tesla.

• Floor and trunk mats for every model in the floor mats collection.
• Tempered glass screen protectors and phone mounts.
• Jack pad adapters and a tire plug repair kit.
• Portable Tesla chargers.
• A glass roof sunshade for the Model 3 and Model Y.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first with a new Tesla?

Set up the phone key in the Tesla app, keep a backup key card with you, and create a driver profile. Then decide how you will charge at home.

Do I need to carry the key card?

Tesla advises carrying a backup key, because a phone key can fail if your phone's battery is low. Tesla also says not to leave a key card inside the car.

Does a new Tesla come with a charger?

Not always. Check what came with your car, and read our guide to portable chargers if you need one.

Does a Tesla have a dashcam?

Yes, but it only records to a USB drive of at least 64 GB. Check the glovebox for one first.

What accessories should a new Tesla owner buy first?

All-weather floor and trunk mats, then a screen protector or phone mount if you want them, and a jack pad for tire shops.

Can I put seat covers on a new Tesla?

Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y manuals say not to use seat covers, because they could restrict the airbags in the front seats.

What tire pressure should my Tesla have?

The recommended cold pressure is on the label on the driver's door pillar. Check it when the tires are cold.

Does a Tesla have a spare tire?

Most don't. Read our guide to what to do with a flat tire in a Tesla with no spare.

Next steps

Pick your car from the model pages to see everything listed for it, or start with the Tesla Floor Mats & Trunk Mats collection.