An early reviewer of the Tesla Model Y L in China has teased what could very well be the most comprehensive list of features that has been shared so far about the upcoming extended wheelbase crossover.

Based on the early reviewer’s insights, the Model Y L could very well become Tesla’s best-selling family vehicle by a mile.

Model Y L sightings

The Tesla Model Y L has reportedly entered production in Giga Shanghai, though the vehicle itself is not being sold in the company’s domestic website as of yet. That being said, sightings from the electric vehicle community have suggested that Tesla China is now hard at work transporting Model Y L units to select stores across the country.

The Model Y L was listed in the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest batch of new energy vehicle models that are eligible for vehicle purchase tax exemptions. Based on the MIIT’s filings, the vehicle will feature a 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery from LG Energy Solution. It is also expected to add roughly 178 mm (7 inches) to the overall length of the standard Model Y, with 152 mm (6 inches) being dedicated to stretching the wheelbase.

New Model Y L insights 

A China-based blogger who reportedly previewed the Model Y L ahead of an expected nondisclosure agreement lift on Tuesday or Wednesday shared some of the vehicle’s alleged updates. As per the blogger, the Model Y L’s biggest updates focus on comfort and interior features. The front seats have reportedly been reworked with better cushioning, leg rests and lumbar support, though they do not add zero-gravity seating or massage functions. 

The vehicle also comes with Continuous Damping Control suspension, a larger central display and an upgraded audio system with about 18 speakers, which was described as a significant improvement in sound quality. Amenities have reportedly been expanded for passengers in all three rows. Heating and ventilation will reportedly be available in the first and second rows, while the third row will have heating only. 

The third-row space was described as adequate, with a passenger standing 1.78 meters tall reportedly being able to sit with a fist’s worth of headroom. Tesla’s minimalist interior design reportedly remains, but the second row now includes armrests. Both the second and third rows also reportedly fold flat to form a large bed, though not as flat as the standard Model Y. A voice wake-up feature, “Hi Tesla,” is also included for China models.

The Federal Aviation Administration has closed its review of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 mishap, clearing the way for the next launch attempt as soon as August 24. 

Flight 9 ended with the loss of both the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage, but regulators accepted SpaceX’s findings that a fuel component failure was the root cause. No public safety concerns were reported from the incident.

Starship recovery lessons

SpaceX noted that Flight 9 marked the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster. Unlike prior attempts, the company did not try a tower “chopsticks” recovery, opting instead for an offshore return that ended in a destructive breakup. The upper stage was also lost over the Indian Ocean. 

As per the FAA in its statement, “There are no reports of public injury or damage to public property. The FAA oversaw and accepted the findings of the SpaceX-led investigation. The final mishap report cites the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle as a failure of a fuel component. SpaceX identified corrective actions to prevent a reoccurrence of the event.”

SpaceX also highlighted that Flight 9’s debris did not harm any wildlife. “SpaceX works with an experienced global response provider to retrieve any debris that may wash up in South Texas and/or Mexico as a result of Starship flight test operations. During the survey of the expected debris field from the booster, there was no evidence of any floating or deceased marine life that would signal booster debris impact harmed animals in the vicinity,” the private space company noted.

Expanding test objectives

To mitigate risks, SpaceX plans to adjust return angles for future flights and conduct additional landing burn tests on Flight 10. SpaceX will attempt a Gulf splashdown for Flight 10 once more, instead of a tower capture, according to a report from the Boston Herald.

The upcoming Starship Flight 10, which will be launching from Starbase in Texas, will also mark SpaceX’s attempt to perform its first payload deployment and an in-space Raptor relight. Despite recent setbacks, which include the last three flights ending with the upper stage experiencing a rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD), Starship remains central to NASA’s Artemis program, with a variant tapped as the human landing system for Artemis III, the first since the Apollo program. 

Standing more than 400 feet tall and generating 16 million pounds of thrust, Starship remains the most powerful rocket flown, though it has yet to complete an orbital mission. The FAA has expanded SpaceX’s license to allow up to 25 Starship flights annually from Texas.

A Tesla VP has confirmed that the electric vehicle maker will be rolling out key improvements for the Cybertruck’s Full Self-Driving with the release for V14. The update was shared in a post on social media platform X.

The Cybertruck’s FSD

While FSD has been released for the Cybertruck, the all-electric pickup truck is still lacking a number of key features that are currently available in the company’s other vehicles like the Model Y, which is substantially more affordable. These include functions like Actually Smart Summon (ASS), which is very convenient for owners. Key accessories that were initially announced for the Cybertruck, such as the Range Extender, have been canceled as well. 

It was then no surprise that Cybertruck owners have taken to social media platforms like X to express their disdain at their vehicles’ missing features. Among these owners was @cybrtrkguy, who stated that the long list of missing Cybertruck features gives the impression that the all-electric pickup truck is just an afterthought at the electric vehicle maker.

Tesla’s response

Interestingly enough, Tesla VP, IT/AI-Infra, Apps, Infosec and Vehicle Service Operations Raj Jegannathan responded to the Cybertruck owner’s post, stating that improvements for the all-electric pickup truck are coming soon. This response was mostly received positively, though some X users joked that Tesla’s “coming soon” announcements tend to become quite longer than expected. 

Seemingly to provide more context, the Tesla VP clarified that the upcoming FSD V14 update will include improvements for the Cybertruck’s Full Self-Driving system. “V14 includes improvements for CT on FSD,” Jegannathan wrote. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted at FSD V14’s improvements. In a post on X, Musk stated that “the FSD release in about 6 weeks will be a dramatic gain with a 10X higher parameter count and many other improvements. It’s going through training & testing now. Once we confirm real-world safety of FSD 14, which we think will be amazing, the car will nag you much less.”