News
Tesla is gathering the pieces for an Alien Dreadnought 2.0 attempt at Fremont
Recent construction permits filed for the Fremont Factory suggest that Tesla is looking to improve the massive electric vehicle production facility’s automation even further. With the plant’s ongoing improvements, it almost seems like Tesla is about to attempt yet another crack at Elon Musk’s once-failed initiative: the “Alien Dreadnought” factory.
The Fremont factory has caught the attention of the nation in the past weeks, as Elon Musk and Tesla locked horns with officials from Alameda County who insisted that the facility remain shut even after California moved to its Stage 2 response for the ongoing pandemic. After a lawsuit, an act of bold defiance from the CEO, some strong words from a CA Assemblywoman against Musk, and support coming from both sides of the political spectrum, the plant was finally allowed to formally return to its normal operations.
But even during the shutdown, Tesla has been exhibiting signs that it intends to improve the Fremont factory. Permits for paint shop improvements were filed, for example, and similar documents were submitted for upgrades in the facility’s vehicle production lines. These lines were speculated to be allotted for Model Y production, which would allow the company to produce the all-electric crossover en masse without any issues.
Just recently, Tesla also filed building permit applications for the addition of “MINO robot riser anchorage structural package” and “MINO Equipment and fixture anchorage” for the Fremont Factory. These may seem a bit understated, though a look at MINO’s expertise provides a notable hint at what Tesla may be planning for its main EV production facility in the United States.
MINO Automation is a firm that provides fully integrated automation production systems that are tailor-fit for its clients. As per the company’s website, MINO specializes in Body in White (BIW) manufacturing systems that concentrate on body framing, laser application, sealing, hemming, resistance welding, and automated stranger systems. MINO works with FANUC Robotics as well, which are also being utilized by Tesla.
A look at Tesla’s recent building permit applications for the Fremont factory shows that the electric car maker is set on improving its plant, and it is also doing what it can to raise its automated processes. Just as Elon Musk intended during the Model 3’s initial delivery event, more automation would likely result in a smooth production ramp. This, of course, is especially important with the Model Y, Tesla’s highest-volume EV to date.
Those who have followed Tesla over the years would know that the company had already attempted an extremely-automated vehicle production approach in the past. Dubbed as Elon Musk’s “Alien Dreadnought” initiative, the program, which was intended for the Model 3, was supposed to be Tesla’s big breakthrough for vehicle production.
Alas, history would show that this was not meant to be, as issues with the over-automated line eventually forced Tesla to adopt a more human-centered approach to Model 3 manufacturing. Even Elon Musk eventually stated that humans are ultimately “underrated.”
But Tesla today is not the same as the company as it was during the early days of the Model 3’s production ramp. Today, Tesla is an experienced mass-manufacturer of electric cars, having produced thousands upon thousands of Model 3 sedans last year. And the company is nowhere near done. Over in Shanghai, Tesla China is attempting to ramp its local Model 3 production at a pace that far exceeds the company’s operations in Fremont.
With this in mind, there seems to be no better time to attempt yet another crack at a hyper-automated factory than today. The Model Y is the perfect vehicle for such an initiative, considering that the crossover is a high-volume car that’s designed to be built in a simple and efficient manner. As per the findings of automotive teardown specialist Sandy Munro, the Model Y seems to be designed for automation, from its rigid wiring systems that are friendly to robots, to its giant casts that eliminate unnecessary parts.
-
Time will tell if Elon Musk and Tesla are going to attempt another Alien Dreadnought for the Fremont factory. But either way, the remaining months of the year will likely see the California-based electric car production facility manufacturing vehicles at a volume that has never been witnessed before.
Tesla flexed the new features of the Model Y L with a dedicated media event at the company’s Diner on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles.
The Model Y L is the extended-wheelbase version of the all-electric crossover, which has been voted the best-selling car in the world on three occasions. The vehicle is already rolling off production lines at Gigafactory Texas, and first deliveries are slated to take place later this year.
Tesla brings Model Y L ‘Launch Series’ to the U.S. at $61,990
Teslarati was invited to the event, but due to some scheduling conflicts, we could not make it to Los Angeles. Instead, we will have our hands on a media unit sometime in August, so we’ll be able to spend some more extended time with the Model Y L.
However, plenty of those who made it to LA shared some cool features that set the Model Y L apart from the Model Y.
Multi-Row Climate Control
Tesla fitted the Model Y L with full climate control on all three rows on the front screen. It can be adjusted by selecting which row you’d like to modify on the right-hand side of the touch screen:
The Model Y L has a little row of icons on the right side of the climate screen so the front passenger can more quickly jump to whatever row they want to control. pic.twitter.com/uJS44mgCvk
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) July 30, 2026
Better Rear Window Visibility
One of the strangest things about the Model Y, especially the Juniper iteration, is the rear window has extremely limited visibility when looking into the rearview mirror.
Tesla has improved upon this with the Model Y L:
This is a drastic difference. https://t.co/wTdhitD5aA pic.twitter.com/z6hFs0Jkss
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 30, 2026
PowerShare will be included
Model Y L will come with PowerShare in North America, with an 11.5kW output to your home. Tesla said it would require Powerwall 3 for operation.
Wireless Charging Pad
There has been some speculation that Tesla would upgrade the wireless charging pads in the United States, but this is not the case.
Tesla owner fixes common feature complaint with crafty DIY retrofit
Tesla confirmed that it does not come with the cooled pads as the Y L in China does. This is because North America has not adopted Qi charging yet.
Thermal Management Improvements
These improvements in the Model Y L were seen with thermal management:
- Up to 15% faster cabin cooling
- +23% thermal efficiency gained in hot weather, 7 miles of real-world range gained
- 8x more solar energy reflection off of glass roof
- 30% reduction in solar energy entering the cabin
Some of the thermal management improvements in the new Model Y L Premium:
• Up to 15% faster cabin cooling
• Up to 15 min faster cabin cooling in sunny conditions
• +23% thermal efficiency gained in hot weather +7 miles of real-world range gained
• +10 miles recovered after… pic.twitter.com/jZirFWFdtO— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) July 31, 2026
Demand
Tesla said the Model Y L is almost sold out in the U.S. It comes with
- 1 year of FSD Supervised
- 1 year of Supercharging
- 1 year of Premium Connectivity
- Free exterior paint color, interior, and wheel option at no additional cost
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to his social media platform X on Thursday night to deny a ridiculous rumor regarding the sale of the company’s Chinese vehicle production plant, Gigafactory Shanghai.
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, claimed in a scathing new report that Tesla was exploring a potential sale of the entire China business in an effort to help bolster a potential merger between SpaceX and Tesla.
Musk immediately denied the rumor not once but twice, initially calling it “fake news,” and then calling it “absurdly fake news” in a separate post just a few moments later:
This is fake news
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2026
The original poster of the Wall Street Journal article that Musk saw deleted the initial post sharing the headline and the rumored sale of Tesla’s China business.
This has never even come up in a discussion ever.
Absurdly fake news.
People should assume news is fake until proven otherwise.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2026
The report seemed absolutely and unequivocally false to begin with; Tesla’s business in China is among the most important pieces of the company’s business. Not only does the factory supply vehicles for the domestic market, but also for various other markets in Asia and Europe.
China is also one of the largest automotive markets in the world, and Tesla has performed well there despite the robust competition.
The speculation regarding a Tesla and SpaceX merger has started to gain steam this year as the space exploration company went public just a month ago. There has been speculation that Musk will bridge all of his companies under one “umbrella company,” and analysts believe this could happen before the end of the decade.
The Tesla and SpaceX merger everyone is talking about is quietly building
This is the latest iteration of Musk’s very evident war on mainstream media. Reports regarding any of Musk’s companies are quick to get the dreaded “false” or “fake news” response from the CEO when they are unfounded.
Elon Musk
Tesla AI boss reveals how big Optimus is going to get
Tesla’s Optimus chief corrected himself on X, confirming a staggering 10 million robot production target.
![Tesla Optimus Gen 3 [Credit: Tesla]](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tesla-optimus-gen3-diner.jpg)
Tesla’s Optimus program has a new number attached to it, after Ashok Elluswamy, the executive who has run the humanoid robot program since June 2025, posted a three word correction on X Thursday, “Correction, 10 million robots.”
The line clarifies the long term annual capacity Tesla is building toward its planned second Optimus production line at Gigafactory Texas, a figure Musk has cited repeatedly since last year’s shareholder meeting.
The scale is worth noting, because ten million robots a year would mean Tesla building more units annually than most countries sell in new cars. Tesla has framed this as a second line, not the first. The buildout is happening in two phases: a roughly one million unit per year line inside Tesla’s Fremont factory, installed on the floor space vacated when Model S and Model X production ended earlier this year, and a much larger dedicated facility under construction at Giga Texas that broke ground on its first steel structure in May. That Texas facility is the one Elluswamy’s correction refers to, and is expected to reach volume production sometime in 2027.
Correction, 10 million robots https://t.co/0z4nyQNTzp
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) July 30, 2026
Tesla Optimus project fires up as Musk sees production line progress
Elluswamy took over Optimus from Milan Kovac last summer and has spent the months since talking up the program’s trajectory. Elon Musk has also floated the ten million figure at Tesla’s 2025 shareholder meeting.
Ending Model S and Model X production to make room for the first Optimus line was one of the more consequential manufacturing decisions in the company’s recent history, retiring two flagship vehicles in favor of a robot that has yet to enter mass production. Musk has previously estimated per unit production costs at $20,000 to $25,000 once Tesla reaches a million units a year, though he hasn’t said what that cost looks like at ten times the volume.
Tesla Model Y L’s new features flexed at unveiling event at Diner
Tesla CEO Elon Musk denies ridiculous Gigafactory Shanghai rumor
![Tesla Optimus Gen 3 [Credit: Tesla]](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tesla-optimus-gen3-diner-80x80.jpg)
