Tesla makes more changes to model s!
The new and refreshed Tesla Model S Plaid and Model S have been out for less than a year now and we’re already seeing some changes made to the design - nothing major, but still worth noting. And at the same time we are learning a ton of new information about how this unprecedented vehicle works and how it is made. So today we’re getting into the latest updates on the Tesla Model S and a few other bits of interesting Tesla news. So let’s get going.
Tesla Model S Update
At some point last December, sightings began to emerge from the Tesla community indicating that a Model S with a new taillight design and revised charging door had been sighted on public roads. Rumors of an upcoming Model S design update were then rekindled in January when Tesla held an event for its Plaid Model X in Taiwan, where a refreshed Model S was also on site, but kept suspiciously covered up by Tesla staff. I don’t know why they brought it if they didn’t want people to see it. But, you do you. Builds mystery.
Now we have brand new, well lit and extremely clear photos of the refreshed Model S rear end courtesy of the member “Wish Master” on the Tesla Motors Club. This was somewhere in California, I guess just happened to be sitting on the side of the road. We can tell this is a Tesla factory job because everything is super misaligned with crazy inconsistent panel gaps. – I kid, of course. But also… that’s pretty damn crooked.
And just in case you’re new to this, Tesla fans have an unwavering commitment to seeking out new Tesla prototypes and test vehicles and documenting them. Whether it’s flying drones over the factory or keeping their eyes peeled in the streets and parking lots of California for any Tesla that looks out of the ordinary.
The changes are subtle, for sure, featuring the removal of a black bar connecting the car’s tail lights - that horizontal strip across the back is now body coloured. And a Model 3-esque charging door - so now instead of the little side flipper door from the old S, we now have the wider, flip up charging door. And there are new tail lights as well, again these bring the Model S more in line with the Model 3, they’re very similar looking tail lights. Obviously not the most drastic changes, but they are distinct enough to give the impression that this is an updated version of the Model S.
Updated for the better though? That’s questionable. Personal preference I guess. I think it makes the car look cheaper and more plain. I do not like it.
Next up we want to talk a bit about Sandy Munro and his teardown of the Model S Plaid. Sandy is a very well respected engineer with a history in the automotive industry. His business these days is essentially to take a new vehicle and tear it apart piece by piece until it’s reduced to nothing but a big pile parts. He does this to figure out how all of the aspects of the vehicle function, what production methods are used and what components go into the product. Then he sells those videos of his tear downs and findings to other companies who want to know what’s inside their competition. It’s a great business model and it looks like a super fun job to have.
Anyway, Munro recently bought a new Model S Plaid to become the subject of a tear down series. Sad, I know, that car’s fate was sealed the day Sandy clicked the order button. But in fairness, he did drive the Plaid Model S across the country and hold a bunch of really cool, pro Tesla events along the way and give the car a good send off. Then he brought it back to his shop and began the process of gutting it like a fish.
What did Munro and Associates find inside the Model S Plaid? Well, from what they’ve published so far, it’s all been good stuff. The rear cradle of the vehicle was particularly impressive, this is a new design for Tesla that is made specifically for the Plaid powertrain, this fits two electric motors into the back of the frame, one for each rear wheel. Sandy referred to the assembly as a ‘packaging symphony’. And just by looking at the cradle removed from the rest of the vehicle, we can clearly see that there is no space wasted. And this honestly does look like alien or future sci fi technology. It’s got much more in common with a Star Ship than a conventional vehicle.
The battery pack also made a solid impression on Munro. They found that the Plaid pack now has an extra layer of mica on the top to act as a fire suppression barrier - mica is commonly used in glass for stoves and lamps and as a thermal insulator in electronics.
They also found that the structure of the Plaid battery pack is much more rigid that the one found in the Model 3 and Model Y, it has extra sheets of aluminum welded on for increased strength. On the interior structure of the pack, Tesla are using castings to separate the battery modules and serve as connection points to bolt the pack to the frame.
They also found an upgraded thermal management system in the Plaid battery. This is helped out by the use of the smaller 18650 cells. Munro says that using the smaller batteries makes sense for a performance car that is going to be driven hard and generate a lot of heat in the pack. The smaller cell casings allow for faster cooling because there is more surface area to wick heat away from the cell with a heat sync. The 2170 cells in the Model 3 and Model Y wouldn’t be able to cool as effectively because they have a much wider jelly roll of cathode and anode material. The new 4680 cell, which is even bigger, will be able to reverse that trend with it’s tabless design that will allow them to get the heat out through the wide bottom of the cell.
Munro also counted 7,920 cells in the Plaid battery pack - this actually manages to use less physical space than the old Model S P85 pack while increasing the max capacity to 100 kilowatt hours. Munro calculates there are 181.5 watt hours per kilogram of battery cell in the Model S Plaid - more power for less weight.
NHTSA investigates Model 3 and Model Y over phantom braking
In other Tesla news. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation on approximately 416,000 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y from the 2021 and 2022 model years over the occurrence known as phantom braking. This is any situation where the vehicle’s Autopilot, driver assist feature applies braking without any reasonable cause - you’re just driving down the road on cruise control and the car starts hitting the brakes for no reason. Obviously that’s annoying at the best of times, and if you’re on the highway, maybe being followed too closely at high speed, it can be straight up dangerous.
According to the NHTSA, it has received 354 complaints from Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners over the past nine months about their vehicles’ phantom braking issues. According to the agency’s records, complaints from Tesla owners indicate that phantom braking incidents happen without warning, and seemingly at random times. Fortunately, no crashes or injuries connected to phantom braking incidents have been reported to date.
As with other Tesla software related issues recently - such as the rolling stop sign feature in the FSD Beta program, or the heat pump failure in extreme cold or even the novelty ‘boom box’ feature that played sound effects through the car’s external speaker - this phantom braking investigation could lead to a recall order from Tesla. Luckily, like all of those other features, the fix should be a software update that goes out over the air automatically to all cars and requires no physical service.
Though, at the same time, Tesla has known this has been going on for a few months now, the anecdotal evidence was pretty strong already, and we’ve heard nothing about a fix coming in any recent software update. It’s heavily rumored, or even assumed, that this increase in phantom braking has something to do with the removal of radar sensors as an input for Autopilot - the Model 3 and Model Y from 2021 onward use cameras exclusively for driver assist features.
Tesla Model Y Vehicles Spotted Leaving Giga Texas
Tesla Model Y vehicles were spotted leaving the new Gigafactory in Austin Texas on car carriers recently. The sighting hints that Tesla’s goal to deliver Giga Texas-made Model Ys to customers by the end of the first quarter is going according to plan.
At the last earnings call, Tesla announced that Giga Texas and Berlin production started in Q4 2021. During his opening remarks, Elon confirmed that the Austin-built Model Y vehicles are equipped with the brand new structural battery packs and 4680 cells. Tesla plans to deliver Giga Texas Model Ys to customers once the vehicle receives final certification.
Drew Baglino, Tesla’s Senior Vice President of Powertrain and Energy Engineering, added that the company was making “meaningful progress of the ramp curve in Kato,” which is the California battery manufacturing plant where Tesla is currently producing 4680 cells on a pilot line. He shared that Tesla was building 4680 structural battery packs every day and assembling them in Giga Texas vehicles.
Bagliano also said, “Our focus on the cell, the pack, and the vehicles here is driving yield quality and cost to ensure we’re ready for larger volumes this year as we ramp and next year. And the 4680 and pack tool installations here at Giga Austin are progressing well, with some areas producing the first parts.”
This new battery cell is a very big deal for Tesla because it will eventually bring down the cost of making batteries by a large margin while at the same time increasing the speed at which they can be made. The combination of the 4680 and structural pack will allow Tesla to offer even longer range in their vehicles thanks to added efficiencies in the design. We expect that total range in the Model Y can grow as much as 30% with the new batteries implemented, and that would increase the dual motor Model Y to around 413 miles of range, nearly 100 miles more than current.
