Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla does not wait until a new model year or update goes into production to make changes to its cars. The practice makes it so Tesla can make improvements to its electric vehicles (EVs) on the fly, without having to wait for the end of a production cycle.
While it also means that features or components removed from a model year are pulled in the middle of production with some buyers of the same car getting them and others not, it makes sense — so much so that rival carmaker Ford has adopted a similar approach as well.
The Model Y launched in early 2020 and has only been on the market for around two years. During that time, though, Tesla has made a long list of changes to its all-electric crossover.
Reddit user colinstalter rounded up all of the hardware changes made to the Model Y since its launch in a list. One thing is for sure–early adopters miss out on all the latest features, but you can’t always wait forever:
Added
- Bigger battery pack (82kWh instead of ~75kWh)
- Exterior speaker (Boombox)
- HEPA filter and Bioweapon mode
- Full rear mega casting (instead of two halves)
- Heat pump sound damping shroud
- IR cabin camera
- Seven-seat option
- Fixed turn signal cameras (no glare)
- Heated steering wheel
- Windshield wiper defrost
- Double-paned windows (front)
- Double-paned windows (rear)
- New center console design
- New door buttons and matte finish panels
- Metal steering wheel buttons
- Dimming side mirrors
- AMD processor
- Lithium-ion 12V battery
- Sealed front ball joints
- Matrix LED headlights (Performance versions so far)
- USB in the glove box for Sentry Mode + free thumb drive
- Tie-down hooks in the trunk (China-only right now?)
- 4680 cells and structural battery pack (coming first at Giga Austin)
- Cargo cover (China-only for now)
- Turn signals are now amber color and larger.
Removed
- Passenger Lumbar
- Radar
- USB data on all ports except glovebox
- Rear door emergency release pullies
- One speaker (Model Y now has 13 speakers instead of 14)
- No regen strength control (software change, but affects hardware)
What are some features in the list above that you wish you had for your Model Y?
