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Tesla Model Y 7-seat config: Front-facing third row suggested by in-car icon
Tesla has all but confirmed that the Model Y’s 7-seat configuration will have a forward-facing third row. Some speculation suggested that the electric automaker was considering a rear-facing third row, returning to the once-equipped jump seats in the Model S flagship sedan.
It appears that Tesla has been leaving breadcrumbs for enthusiasts to find that may confirm the Model Y’s third-row orientation. Tesla owner and content creator Brian Jenkins of i1Tesla spotted a graphic of the Model Y’s 7-seated third-row while driving with his trunk open.
“I was driving with the trunk open,” Jenkins told Teslarati. “Once the beeping stopped, the warning went away, showing the 3rd row. It is the icon on the screen.”
Teslarati was able to confirm the graphic that appears on the center touchscreen, which showed the third-row seats. It appears that the seats will fold upright and will be forward-facing, but that’s not the biggest piece of evidence that points to front-facing rear row seating.
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- Tesla Model Y 7-Seat Folded 3rd Row Rear Seats (Photo: Teslarati)
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- Tesla Model Y 7-Seat Folded 3rd Row Rear Seats (Photo: Teslarati)
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- Tesla Model Y Trunk Cargo Rear Hatch (Photo: Teslarati)
In fact, Tesla has an animation of the Model Y’s interior on its website that shows a normal, forward-facing third row. The rear row’s seatbelts are angled so that they would not interfere with the passengers who occupy those seats, and the base of the seating shows an area for the buckles to come through. If the seats were rear-facing, this seatbelt buckle opening would be on the opposite side.
Credit: Tesla
Speculation regarding the orientation of the Model Y’s third-row began when initial photographs of the third row showed small legroom spaces for passengers who would sit in this row. It seemed impossible that a fully-grown adult would be able to occupy these seats comfortably, and it would likely be left for smaller passengers.
Fuel was only added to the fire when veteran teardown expert Sandy Munro got his hands on a Model Y for a video series. Evidence in the Y’s initial designs hinted to Munro that the third row of seats would be rear-facing. “We can’t see anything that says that we’re going to be putting front-facing seats,” Munro said. “But, we sure can see where it could be a potential there for rear-facing seats.”
Credit: Munro Live | YouTube
Tesla has used rear-facing third-row seats before. The Model S had rear-facing jump seats, and CEO Elon Musk even used them for his kids during a cross country road trip.
Nobody knows for sure which way the third row will face, but evidence from Tesla seems to all but confirm the automaker’s intentions moving forward. The 7-seat variant was set to begin deliveries this month after Musk stated production had begun on the variant in late November. However, no deliveries have taken place up to this point, and Sales Representatives told Teslarati that they expect the car to arrive in January 2021.
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Tesla revamped Semi spotted, insane 1.2 MW charging video releases
These developments highlight Tesla’s ongoing refinements to the vehicle’s design and infrastructure.
Tesla is gearing up for high-volume Semi production in 2026, with the Class 8 all-electric truck’s revamped variant being spotted in the wild recently. Official footage from Tesla also showed the Semi achieving an impressive 1.2 MW charging rate on a charger.
These developments highlight Tesla’s ongoing refinements to the vehicle’s design and infrastructure.
Revamped Tesla Semi sighting
Tesla Semi advocate @HinrichsZane, who has been chronicling the progress of the vehicle’s Nevada factory, recently captured exclusive drone footage of the refreshed Class 8 truck at a Megacharger stall near Giga Nevada. The white unit features a full-width front light bar similar to the Model Y and the Cybercab, shorter side windows, a cleared fairing area likely for an additional camera, and diamond plate traction strips on the steps.
Overall, the revamped Semi looks ready for production and release. The sighting marks one of the first real-life views of the Class 8 all-electric truck’s updated design, with most improvements, such as potential 4680 cells and enhanced internals, being hidden from view.
1.2 MW charging speed and a new connector
The official Tesla Semi account on X also shared an official video of Tesla engineers hitting 1.2 MW sustained charging on a Megacharger, demonstrating the vehicle’s capability for extremely rapid charging. Tesla Semi program lead Dan Priestley confirmed in a later post on X that the test occurred at a dedicated site, noting that chargers at the Semi factory in Nevada are also 1.2 MW capable.
The short video featured a revamped design for the Semi’s charging port, which seems more sleek and akin to the NACS port found in Tesla’s other vehicles. It also showed the Tesla engineers cheering as the vehicle achieved 1.2 MW during its charging session. Dan Priestley explained the Semi’s updated charging plug in a post on X.
“The connector on the prior Semi was an early version (v2.4) of MCS. Not ‘proprietary’ as anyone could have used it. We couldn’t wait for final design to have >1MW capability, so we ran with what had been developed thus far. New Semi has latest MCS that is set to be standard,” the executive wrote in a post on X.
Check out the Tesla Semi’s sighting at the Nevada factory in the video below.
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Tesla FSD successfully completes full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions
Tesla community members celebrated the milestone on X, and the feat earned praise from some of the electric vehicle maker’s executives.
A Tesla owner has successfully completed a full coast-to-coast drive across the United States on Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised. The trip was accomplished with zero interventions.
Tesla community members celebrated the milestone on X, and the feat earned praise from some of the electric vehicle maker’s executives.
FSD Coast-to-Coast
The coast-to-coast feat was accomplished by Tesla owner Davis Moss, who drives a stealth gray Model 3 with AI4 hardware. Based on data from the FSD database and a community tracker, the last 10,638.8 miles Moss drove in his Model 3 were completed using FSD 100% of the time. His vehicle is equipped with FSD v14.2.1.25, which was installed 12 days ago.
As per Moss in a celebratory post on X, his Model 3 was able to complete a full coast-to-coast drive across the United States in 2 days and 20 hours. His trip started at the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles, CA, and it ended in Myrtle Beach, SC. Overall, his trip spanned 2,732.4 miles.
“This was accomplished with Tesla FSD V14.2 with absolutely 0 disengagements of any kind even for all parking including at Tesla Superchargers,” Moss stated in his post. He also added in later comments that there were zero close calls during the trip.
Tesla community celebrates
The FSD milestone trip was widely lauded by members of the Tesla community, especially since a coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions has been cited by Elon Musk as a target since October 2016, when Autopilot 2.0 was unveiled. At the time, Musk initially estimated that a coast-to-coast drive across the United States should be possible by the end of 2017. Considering Moss’ feat in his Model 3, it appears that Elon Musk’s estimate was not impossible at all. It was just late.
Musk himself celebrated the milestone on X, and so did Tesla VP of AI Software Ashok Elluswamy, who wrote “World’s first fully autonomous coast-to-coast drive, done with Tesla self-driving v14. Congrats and thank you @DavidMoss!” in a post on X. The official Tesla North America account also celebrated the feat, writing “First Tesla to drive itself from coast to coast w/ FSD Supervised. 0 interventions, all FSD” on X.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y has become the world’s best-selling car by volume for the third consecutive year, capping 2025 with another dominant performance.
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Three years in a row
Musk posted on X: “Tesla Model Y is now officially the world’s best-selling car for the third year in a row!” The CEO’s comment echoed an update that Tesla included in its 2025 recap, which highlighted, among other things, the Model Y’s incredible streak.
The Model Y has held the title since 2023, outperforming traditional leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla thanks to its bang-for-the-buck nature and its stellar combination of practicality, performance, and tech. The Model Y is also lauded as one of the safest vehicles on the road, making it an ideal choice for families in key markets such as China.
An impressive 2025
The Model Y’s sales feat in 2025 is especially impressive considering the introduction of the vehicle’s new variant. Tesla’s changeover to the new Model Y across its global factories resulted in sales being paused for some time in the first quarter. As per Tesla’s Q1 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, “the changeover of Model Y lines across all four of our factories led to the loss of several weeks of production in Q1.”
This suggests that the Model Y’s sales remained strong in 2025 to the point where it could still claim the title of the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume, even with its sales being throttled during the first quarter of the year. It would then be interesting to see just how far the Model Y can go in 2026, especially considering the rollout of new variants like the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L, the affordable Model Y Standard, and the top-tier Model Y Performance.
Tesla revamped Semi spotted, insane 1.2 MW charging video releases
Tesla FSD successfully completes full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions
