

News
Tesla discontinues glossy Model X seat backs for matte finish
Love it or hate it, Tesla has discontinued the glossy seat backs found on the Model X as of this month. The hard plastic seat back was, depending on who you asked, the perfect complement to an already flashy vehicle, or the worst decision Tesla could have made for a vehicle intended for families with small children.
The issue at hand with the original black glossy seat back, for many families with kids and those with an active lifestyle, is that it was prone to scratching and virtually impossible to keep fingerprints from gravitating towards it. Yinn from the Tesla Motors Club forum puts it best when describing the differences between the old glossy-back seats versus the newest matte black seat backs.
Matte vs Gloss:
We have the Matte in our S, and the Gloss in our X, so I feel like I can give a good summary and comparison.
– Our matte is scratched up severely and shows the grooves and looks horrendous.
– Our matte feels less fragile and more durable, resulting in us treating them with less care – most likely resulting in the above.
– The matte backs feel less slippery with no noticeable effect on….anything.
– Our gloss has fingerprints and footprints all over it and looks horrendous.
– Our gloss feels more fragile and less durable, resulting in us treating them with the utmost care to prevent scratching – most likely resulting in the lack of scratches.
– The gloss backs feel more slippery with no noticeable effect on…..anything.
My wife prefers the matte backs and dislikes the gloss backs. This may be due to our S having the glossy dark ash wood trim and it would just be a lot of shiny surfaces.
I’m the reverse, I think the gloss backs add a nice touch to the car and it feels more luxurious. This may also be because our X has the matte obeche wood that soften and warms the car a little bit, so the extra gloss doesn’t seem as hard/cold.
In summary – they don’t matter. It’s a thing you can dive into while waiting for your car, but it won’t really change your experience. I suppose to some this may matter, but to me it’s very much a <shrug>
#firstworldproblems
Yinn couldn’t have described it better. In the end, the seat back material is a personal preference and determined by the Model X owner’s lifestyle as it relates to use of the vehicle. Here’s a side by side comparison of the previous glossy Model X seats and the newest matte black seats. It’s worth noting that owners have reported that matte seat backs appear “cheap looking” from photos but in reality have a finer quality, to the touch.
What’s your preference? Discuss it with the community in our Model X forum.
- Model X matte seat back via TMC user someTimesJoe
News
Tesla analyst compares Robotaxi to Waymo: ‘The contrast was clear’
“In short, robotaxi felt like a more luxurious service for half the cost and the driving felt more human-like.”

Tesla analyst Jed Dorsheimer of Wall Street firm William Blair compared the company’s Robotaxi platform to Waymo’s driverless ride-sharing program, and had a clear-cut consensus over which option was better in terms of rider experience.
Dorsheimer visited Austin recently to ride in both Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-sharing program and Waymo, which has operated slightly longer than Tesla has in the city. Tesla started rides on June 22, while Waymo opened its vehicles to the public in March.
A Tesla Model Y L Robotaxi is a legitimate $47k Waymo killer
The analyst gave both platforms the opportunity to present themselves, and by the end of it, one was better than the other in terms of rider experience. However, he noted that both platforms gave safe and smooth rides.
Overall, there was a tremendous difference in the feel and environment of each option.
Tesla Robotaxi vs. Waymo
Dorsheimer said that Tesla’s first big advantage was vehicle appearance. Robotaxi uses no external equipment or hardware to operate; just its exterior cameras. Meanwhile, Zoox and Waymo vehicles utilize LiDAR rigs on their vehicles, which made them “stick out like a sore thumb.”
“In contrast, the robotaxis blended in with other Teslas on the road; we felt inconspicuous flowing with the traffic,” he added.
The next big victory went in the way of Robotaxi once again, and it concerned perhaps the most important metric in the ridesharing experience: price.
He continued in the note:
“Confirming our thesis, robotaxi was half the price of Uber, showing its ability to win market share by weaponizing price.”
In terms of overall performance, Dorsheimer noted that both platforms provided safe and “top-notch” experiences. However, there was one distinction between the two and it provided a clear consensus on which was better.
He said:
“In Austin, we took multiple robotaxi and Waymo rides; the contrast was clear. Aside from the visual difference between each pulling up to the curb, the robotaxi was comfortable and familiar, and it felt as though a friendly ghost chauffeur was driving our personal car. Driving was smooth and human-like, recognizing and patiently waiting for pedestrians, switching into less crowded lanes, patiently waiting to execute a safe unprotected turn, and yet, discerning and confident enough to drive through a light that just turned yellow, so as not to slam on the brakes.
Waymo also provided a top-notch service, and we did not encounter any safety concerns, but if we were to be overly critical, it felt more … robotic. In the cabin, you have to listen to an airline-esque preamble on Waymo and safety protocols, and during the ride, you can hear all the various spinning lidar sensors spooling up and down with electronic whizzing sounds.”
Tesla Robotaxi provides an experience that seems to be more catered toward a realistic ride experience. You can control the music, the cabin temperature, and transitioning your travel from one vehicle to the next during a trip will continue your entertainment experience.
If your first trip ends in the middle of a song, your next trip will pick up the music where it left off.
Meanwhile, Waymo’s experience sounds as if it is more focused on rider expectations, and not necessarily providing a ride that felt catered to the occupants. Still, what’s important is that both platforms provided safe rides.
Dorsheimer ended the note with one last tidbit:
“In short, robotaxi felt like a more luxurious service for half the cost and the driving felt more human-like.”
News
Tesla offers new deal on used inventory that you won’t want to pass up
Tesla opened up lease deals on used Model 3 and Model Y inventory in California and Texas on Tuesday, marking the first time it has launched the option on pre-owned cars.

Tesla is offering a new deal on its used vehicle inventory that consumers looking for a great deal won’t want to pass up.
Traditionally, Tesla has not allowed potential car buyers to lease its used inventory. The only two options were to buy with cash or finance it through Tesla or a bank.
However, with the elimination of the $7,500 new and $4,000 used EV tax credits, Tesla is breaking its own rules and is now offering lease deals on its used vehicle inventory, but only in a couple of states, as of right now.
Tesla is ready with a perfect counter to the end of US EV tax credits
Tesla opened up lease deals on used Model 3 and Model Y inventory in California and Texas on Tuesday, marking the first time it has launched the option on pre-owned cars.
The deals are tremendous and can cost as little as $0 down and under $225 per month for some vehicles.
Lease a Pre-Owned Model 3 or Y
As low as $0 down & $225/month
Now available in CA & TX https://t.co/LRYRIZP8VZ
— Tesla North America (@tesla_na) August 19, 2025
Tesla also allows customers to buy the vehicle at the end of their lease deal, which enables some really great ways to end up an owner of the car you plan to drive for the next two or three years.
The lease deal also helps Tesla rid itself of older vehicles that might not be of future use to the company. It formerly planned to use leased vehicles in its eventual Robotaxi fleet, but many of the cars in its used inventory have Hardware 3, which is less capable than Hardware 4, which is installed in the new Model 3 and Model Y.
More importantly, Tesla is giving people yet another way to be in the market for a Tesla before the tax credit ends on September 30.
Elon Musk
Tesla Model Y L might not come to the U.S., and it’s a missed opportunity
The Model Y L has a variety of big changes that would be advantageous for the U.S. market, including a longer wheelbase, more comfortable seats, a third row that appears to be more spacious than Tesla’s six-seat Model Y that it previously offered, B-Pillar vents for rear passengers, and more.

Tesla’s new Model Y L might not come to the U.S., CEO Elon Musk said this morning.
It’s a missed opportunity, and I’m not the only one who feels this way.
In the past, I have personally written a handful of articles about what Tesla owners have been wanting in the United States: a full-sized SUV, or at least a vehicle that is larger than the Model Y but less of a crossover than the Model X.
Tesla is missing one type of vehicle in its lineup and fans want it fast
The only thing that Tesla has announced that even slightly matches this sort of idea is the Robovan, which is, optimistically, several years off because it lacks a steering wheel and pedals and will require Full Self-Driving to be fully autonomous.
Even if Tesla launches FSD next year, it will take a year or two to figure out manufacturing, go through regulatory hurdles with the EPA, and eventually enter mass production for customers.
The Model Y L has a variety of big changes that would be advantageous for the U.S. market, including a longer wheelbase, more comfortable seats, a third row that appears to be more spacious than Tesla’s six-seat Model Y that it previously offered, B-Pillar vents for rear passengers, and more.
However, Musk said it won’t come to the U.S. until next year, and that it “might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America.”
This variant of the Model Y doesn’t start production in the US until the end of next year.
Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2025
To be blunt, I’m not sure if I truly believe that Musk thinks the Model Y L won’t come to the U.S. Some believe he said this to not Osborne Effect Model Y sales here, which seems more likely than anything.
Tesla Model Y L gets disappointingly far production date in the United States
People have been buying the Model Y for two years more than any other car in the world. To act as if many families would not appreciate the extra space seems very strange; a big complaint with the Model Y is that it simply does not fit larger families.
If you have four kids, you’re forced into the Model X, which might be too expensive for some families, as it starts at $79,990.
While Tesla’s focus is undoubtedly on autonomy, it is important to remember that some people still really enjoy the act of driving their cars. Tesla has worked very hard to create a fun and sporty driving experience, especially in the new Model Y. Many consumers, including myself, like to take advantage of that.
Autonomy might eventually take over human driving completely, but in the near term, it does not seem as if that is the case. Even if someone were interested in never driving again, this longer and more spacious Model Y L would be an ideal option for American families that need the room for at least six passengers.
Quite a few big names in the Tesla community share this sentiment:
I’m a little surprised by this.
I think the Model Y L would sell extremely well in North America, even with the advent of self-driving. Americans love their larger SUVs. Bigger families here want the Model Y L. There is a need in North America for larger all-electric SUVs at a… https://t.co/v7D1IpCnET
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 20, 2025
More than likely, Musk does not want to announce a more attractive option than the current Model Y, as many consumers would likely wait a year or two for the L in an effort to have more space.
In all honesty, I see the Model Y L coming to the United States, as it truly fits the bill as an ideal car for the modern American family.
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