The Tesla teardown is a staple of the EV literature. Teardown expert Sandy Munro has taken apart many a Tesla, with highly informative (and entertaining) results. Various legacy automakers have performed their own private teardowns—rumor has it that, when the Model 3 first appeared, a group of German automakers paid an enormous sum to have… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Model Y"
Tesla Model Y launch helps Norway reach 72% EV market share
Tesla’s Model Y is hitting Europe like an electrical storm. In Norway, it became the best-selling vehicle (yes, of any kind) within a week of beginning deliveries. The Vikings’ buying spree pushed EV sales to a new monthly record: 72% of the total auto market in August, compared to 64% in July. Adding PHEVs and… Read more »
Tesla to use LG’s new NCMA cathode materials in Chinese Model Y
Over the last few years, Tesla has been diversifying its battery supply chain, working with new suppliers and trying out new chemistries in its cells. Gigafactory Shanghai, which is geographically close to the Asian firms that currently supply most of the world’s Li-ion cells, has been the center of the automaker’s brave new battery biz…. Read more »
First Model Y megacasting produced at Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas
Tesla has taken a major step towards implementing an innovative new chassis design—the first Model Y megacasting has come out of the enormous Idra “gigapress” at Gigafactory Texas. Front and rear megacastings will be combined with the company’s new structural battery pack to form the underbody of Model Y. Current automobile chassis are made up… Read more »
Volkswagen ID.4 and Nissan Ariya bring EV drive to compact crossovers…chasing Tesla Model Y
Can new electric entries in a hugely popular segment convince US buyers to buy EVs from Nissan and VW as family vehicles? Two new battery-electric models from major global car brands are about to bring electric cars into a category where they’ve been notably absent: family crossover utility vehicles. The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 and 2022… Read more »
Model Y: Tesla’s latest model is its most refined—and it continues to improve
Every Tesla model has arguably been a historic vehicle. The Roadster was the first EV to offer the performance and aesthetics that attract car buyers. Model S was the first mass-produced EV to deliver this combination, and Model X delivered it as an SUV. Model 3, the culmination of the company’s master plan, was the… Read more »
Tesla says its new Terafactory will be producing Model Y by the end of this year
Tesla may have decided on the site of its anticipated Cybertruck plant, and it intends to waste no time. Electrek, citing “a reliable source familiar with the matter,” reports that the next Tesla Gigafactory (excuse me, make that “Terafactory”) will be built in the vicinity of Austin, Texas. (The AP is reporting that the list… Read more »
VW ID.4 already in production, will be about the size of Tesla Model Y, sell for $40k
Volkswagen’s ID.3 will be a milestone vehicle—the company’s first EV based on the new MEB platform. Unfortunately, deliveries have been delayed by software problems, and are now expected to take place in a big batch this summer. It’s also unfortunate that VW has no plans to sell the small electric hatch in North America, but… Read more »
In Model Y, Tesla replaces 70 underbody parts with one casting
Tesla is constantly working to simplify the manufacturing process for its vehicles. Last year the company applied for a patent on a new casting machine that would be used to build Model Y. “When we get the big casting machine, it’ll go from 70 parts to 1 with a significant reduction in capital expenditure on… Read more »
Tesla Model Y uses a heat pump to reduce range loss in cold weather
Cold weather poses a challenge for EVs (though hardly a deal-breaker, as thousands of Norwegian drivers can attest). Not only does battery performance take a hit in low temperatures, but the resistance heating systems used in most EVs consume power, reducing range. Tesla has addressed that issue with the design of the Model Y, which… Read more »