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Tesla Model S ‘Refresh’ test vehicle interior: New Steering Wheel, Touchscreen, HVAC system
The first images of the Tesla Model S “Refresh” have landed online, after a person in Toledo, Ohio, spotted the newly-designed sedan at the Toledo Service Center. After speaking with Service Center employees, it has been confirmed that this is a test vehicle. However, images show that the Model S interior is here, and preliminary designs are in the works.
Upon the release of the Q4 2020 Earnings Call Update Letter, Tesla released new photographs of the Model S interior. Rumors that Tesla’s flagship sedan was going to be subjected to a “refresh” were spinning through the rumor mill since December 2020, after the company shut down production lines of the Model S and Model X at the Fremont factory. The vehicle was then spotted at the Fremont Test Track by Teslarati and the Kilowatts, further confirming that Tesla was revamping its flagship vehicle.
While exterior photos showed some changes, many were interested in whether Tesla would modify the interior design. It did, after confirming some new features in photographs that were included in the Q4 2020 Shareholder Deck. A new Yoke Steering wheel, horizontal touchscreen, and rear passenger screen were all included, along with modifications to the vehicle’s HVAC design, center console, and others.
Now, new images have surfaced of the Model S interior, thanks to Tom of the Tesla Owners Club of Michigan Facebook group. These photographs were then shared to the r/TeslaMotors Subreddit.
Credit: Tesla Owners Club of Michigan | Facebook
It appears that Tesla’s Yoke Steering Wheel will be optional and can be equipped with a new steering column design. The new steering wheel is noticeably different than past Model S steering wheels. The center of the wheel seems to have a cap for the horn instead of the past one-piece design that has been used.
As far as the Yoke design, the NHTSA has told Teslarati on several occasions that it will work with the automaker on the regulations regarding steering wheel shape. The Yoke has been approved in several other countries, but the NHTSA still hasn’t confirmed whether it will be allowed or not.
The NHTSA told Teslarati:
“At this time, NHTSA cannot determine if the steering wheel meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. We will be reaching out to the automaker for more information.”
It also appears that this vehicle is undergoing some kind of testing as there are plenty of exposed wires and labels on the interior. Tesla has been known to test upcoming vehicles in a number of different conditions, including snow. Several past vehicle prototypes have run spirited drives in challenging, snowy conditions ahead of their releases. The Model Y and Semi are just two of them.
Tom, the original poster in the Facebook Group, stated that:
“Model S refresh test vehicle spotted at the Toledo service center!! Sorry for the crummy photos. Best I could do at the time. Also, yoke steering wheel confirmed as option, by service staff!!”
Credit: Tesla Owners Club of Michigan | Facebook
Tesla is currently producing the refreshed Model S and Model X at the Fremont Factory, and has contacted orderers about their possible delivery dates. One Model X reservation holder told Teslarati earlier this month that his planned delivery date is between February 15th and March 15th, meaning that the new vehicles could be rolling into customer driveways any day now.
Tesla’s Crash Testing History in Ohio
While unclear for the exact reasoning that Tesla sent a Model S Refresh to Ohio, there is some history with Tesla’s soon-to-be-released cars in the state. In 2017 before the Model 3 was officially released and began deliveries, Tesla sent almost 100 Model 3s to Central Ohio for crash testing.
According to @Model3Owners, Tesla was sending the Model 3s to an independent crash safety testing facility, run by the Transportation Research Center‘s “Smart Mobility Advanced Research Test Center,” a $45 million facility that sits on 540 acres. Ohio State University and the Ohio Department of Transportation both donated at least $20 million to the facility that tests a wide variety of crash scenarios for automakers.
With the Model S having a new design, it is possible that Tesla could be sending the new car, along with several others, to the Transportation Research Center facility to test its performance in accidents. While the Model S already holds a five-star crash safety rating from the NHTSA, the slightly refined body design could need some additional research from Tesla to keep its great reputation for making safe vehicles.
Elon Musk
SpaceX gains favor as Pentagon embraces Musk-style defense reform
The remarks highlighted Musk’s improving relationship with the White House, as well as SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense.
SpaceX emerged as a clear beneficiary of the Trump administration’s renewed push to accelerate military innovation, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth openly praised Elon Musk’s private space enterprise during a visit to the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas.
The remarks highlighted Musk’s improving relationship with the White House, as well as SpaceX’s growing role in U.S. defense.
Hegseth embraces Elon Musk’s pace
Speaking at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Brownsville, Texas, Hegseth criticized what he described as a “risk-averse culture” among traditional defense contractors and called for faster innovation modeled after Musk’s approach. He confirmed that the Department of Defense plans to integrate Musk’s Grok AI platform into Pentagon systems, which is part of the administration’s efforts to make the U.S. military an “AI-first warfighting force.”
Hegseth stated that the Pentagon intends to deploy AI models across both classified and unclassified networks, signaling a willingness to push past earlier efforts to limit military use of artificial intelligence. His comments aligned closely with President Donald Trump’s recent call for a $500 billion increase in defense spending, Bloomberg News noted. Trump has also warned major contractors that slower production and shareholder-focused practices could put future contracts at risk.
While Hegseth criticized legacy defense firms, SpaceX was held up as an example of how aggressive timelines, vertical integration, and iterative development could reshape defense strategies. “We need to be blunt here; we can no longer afford to wait a decade for our legacy prime contractors to deliver a perfect system. Winning requires a new playbook. Elon wrote it with his algorithm: question every requirement, delete the dumb ones and accelerate like hell,” Hegseth said.
SpaceX’s expanding defense role comes into focus
SpaceX has become one of the U.S. government’s most important aerospace partners. The company holds roughly $4 billion in NASA contracts to develop Starship into a lunar lander, while also serving as a key launch provider for sensitive national security payloads using its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
During the visit, Musk highlighted that his ambitions extend beyond defense contracts, reiterating long-term goals of interplanetary travel and eventual exploration beyond the solar system. Still, the optics of the event reinforced how closely SpaceX’s capabilities now align with U.S. strategic priorities.
The appearance also marked another step in Musk’s political rehabilitation after a public falling-out with the White House last year. Since leaving his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has gradually reengaged with the administration, reconnecting with U.S. President Donald Trump during slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s tribute and attending events at the White House. Trump’s also recently suggested that Starlink could help restore internet access in Iran.
Tesla has launched a new Model Y configuration in the “Premium” trim, and it comes with three highly requested features that have launched in markets outside of the U.S. and in other trims.
Tesla announced on Monday night that it has officially launched the Model Y Premium in a seven-seat configuration, which also comes standard with a 16″ touchscreen and black headliner, both of which are featured in the Model Y Performance trim.
The seven-seat configuration is highly requested by consumers and helps fill out the more spacious SUV offering that the lineup has missed outside of the Model X, which prices out many consumers. This new upgrade only costs $2,500 extra for all three features, bringing the cash price to $48,990.
This also comes with the larger 16” touchscreen! pic.twitter.com/aiAxWUTKZa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 13, 2026
The move to add the seven-seat configuration with the black headliner and additional screen size is a welcome addition, as many Tesla fans have asked the company to come out with an SUV with more seating capacity. Although it is not a full-size SUV, the additional seating will certainly attract some buyers with bigger families.
It appears the third row is slightly more spacious than the past iteration of the seven-seat Model Y, which was available in the previous design pre-Juniper:
Credit: Tesla
However, it definitely still appears to be pretty cramped in terms of legroom. It will definitely be a seating arrangement for smaller passengers, mostly reserved for children.
The other two upgrades are the black headliner, which was launched in other markets and in the Model Y Performance. Many owners have wanted this change, and Tesla listened, but is only offering it with the seven-seat configuration. It also has a larger 16″ touchscreen, also present in the Model Y Performance exclusively:
Credit: Tesla
It is a nice touch to add these highly requested features to the all-electric crossover, which was the best-selling vehicle in the world for the third consecutive year.
Tesla has expanded its branded ‘For Business’ Supercharger program that it launched last year, as yet another company is using the platform to attract EV owners to its business and utilize a unique advertising opportunity.
Francis Energy of Oklahoma is launching four Superchargers in Norman, where the University of Oklahoma is located. The Superchargers, which are fitted with branding for Francis Energy, will officially open tomorrow.
It will not be the final Supercharger location that Francis Energy plans to open, the company confirmed to EVWire.
Back in early September, Tesla launched the new “Supercharger for Business” program in an effort to give businesses the ability to offer EV charging at custom rates. It would give their businesses visibility and would also cater to employees or customers.
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business,” Tesla wrote on a page on its website for the new program. “Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The first site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, which is Northeast of Tampa, as a company called Suncoast launched the Superchargers for local EV owners.
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
The program also does a great job at expanding infrastructure for EV owners, which is something that needs to be done to encourage more people to purchase Teslas and other electric cars.
Francis Energy operates at least 14 EV charging locations in Oklahoma, spanning from Durant to Oklahoma City and nearly everywhere in between. Filings from the company, listed by Supercharge.info, show the company’s plans to convert some of them to Tesla Superchargers, potentially utilizing the new Supercharger for Business program to advertise.
Moving forward, more companies will likely utilize Tesla’s Supercharger for Business program as it presents major advantages in a variety of ways, especially with advertising and creating a place for EV drivers to gain range in their cars.
SpaceX gains favor as Pentagon embraces Musk-style defense reform
Tesla Model Y gets fresh configuration with three highly requested features
