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Tesla’s sustainability focus is evident down to the Model Y’s thermal system
It is no secret that Tesla’s main focus revolves around sustainability. Its mission is to accelerate the advent of sustainable energy, which is one of the reasons why every vehicle the company releases is designed to be a preferable alternative to cars powered by the internal combustion engine. This point became especially evident recently when the Model Y’s thermal system was compared side-by-side to that of the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
As discussed by automotive teardown expert Sandy Munro in his Munro Live YouTube channel, the Tesla Model Y’s thermal system is quite a feat in first-principles thinking and engineering. This could be seen in custom-designed components such as the Octovalve, as well as the hoses that Tesla used for the system. Munro noted that overall, the Model Y’s thermal system only uses 10 hoses with a total length of 6.35 meters, which is very conservative compared to other electric vehicles in the market.
Munro and Associates is currently in the process of tearing down the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and one of the things that caught the team’s attention was the all-electric crossover’s thermal system, which the automotive veteran candidly dubbed as a “nightmare.” This “nightmare” was represented by the lengthy, twisted cacophony of hoses that Ford used for its all-electric crossover’s thermal system. Compared to the Model Y, the Mach-E uses 250% more parts, which likely makes the vehicle more costly to build.
The teardown team found that the Mustang Mach-E’s thermal system had a total part count of 35 pieces, and the total length of its hoses stood at 18.42 meters, over two times longer than the hoses used in the Model Y. The fluids in the Model Y are significantly less than those used in the Mustang Mach-E as well, though they essentially play the same role.
As noted by members of the electric vehicle community who are familiar with thermal systems, the Mach-E also uses conventional rubber coolant hoses, which are generally heavy and not easy to recycle. These rubber hoses are very cheap, however, despite the fact that they require a lot of energy to manufacture. In contrast, Tesla appears to be using nylon materials for the Model Y’s tubing, which is more recyclable and more energy efficient to produce. Nylon tubing is significantly lighter than the rubber hoses used in the Mach-E, but it is several times more expensive.
Munro and Associates only showed a glimpse of the engineering prowess displayed by Tesla team when it designed the Model Y, but one thing was immediately evident when the all-electric crossover’s thermal system was compared to the Mach-E. The Tesla Model Y is created from the ground up to be a vehicle that’s designed for a renewable future, and its components seem to have been selected with sustainability in mind. The Model Y’s nylon hoses, which are more expensive but more sustainable, seem to be part of this strategy.
Tesla’s experience in building electric vehicles is evident in the Model Y’s components. Veterans like Ford, on the other hand, seem to still be learning the ropes. But this is not the most thought-provoking conclusion from Munro’s comparison of the Model Y and Mach-E’s thermal system. While the Tesla is miles ahead, Munro emphasized that the Ford Mustang Mach-E is already the best non-Tesla electric car that they have torn down and analyzed to date.
Watch Munro’s comparison of the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E’s thermal system below.
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Tesla gamifies Supercharging with new ‘Charging Passport’
It will also include things like badges for special charging spots, among other metrics that will show all of the different places people have traveled to plug in for range.
Tesla is gamifying its Supercharging experience by offering a new “Charging Passport,” hoping to add a new layer to the ownership experience.
While it is not part of the Holiday Update, it is rolling out around the same time and offers a handful of cool new features.
Tesla’s Charging Passport will be available within the smartphone app and will give a yearly summary of your charging experience, helping encapsulate your travel for that year.
It will also include things like badges for special charging spots, among other metrics that will show all of the different places people have traveled to plug in for range.
Tesla has just introduced “Charging Passport,” a new yearly summary of your charging.
• Charging badges: Iconic Charging badge (for visiting places like the Tesla Diner, Oasis Supercharger, etc), Explorer badge, green saver badge, etc.
• Total unique Superchargers visited
•… pic.twitter.com/c1DHTWXpj7— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 8, 2025
Tesla will include the following metrics within the new Charging Passport option within the Tesla app:
- Charging badges: Iconic charging badges for visiting places like the Tesla Diner, Oasis Supercharger, etc., Explorer Badge, and more
- Total Unique Superchargers Visited
- Total Charging Sessions
- Total Miles Added during Charging Sessions
- Top Charging Day
- Longest Trip
- Favorite Charging Locations
This will give people a unique way to see their travels throughout the year, and although it is not necessarily something that is needed or adds any genuine value, it is something that many owners will like to look back on. After all, things like Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay have been a great way for people to see what music they listened to throughout the year.
This is essentially Tesla’s version of that.
With a handful of unique Superchargers already active, Tesla is also building some new ones, like a UFO-inspired location in New Mexico, near Roswell.
Tesla is building a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country
News
Tesla launches its coolest gift idea ever just a few weeks after it was announced
“Gift one month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal intervention.”
Tesla has launched its coolest gift idea ever, just a few weeks after it was announced.
Tesla is now giving owners the opportunity to gift Full Self-Driving for one month to friends or family through a new gifting program that was suggested to the company last month.
The program will enable people to send a fellow Tesla owner one month of the company’s semi-autonomous driving software, helping them to experience the Full Self-Driving suite and potentially help Tesla gain them as a subscriber of the program, or even an outright purchase.
Tesla is going to allow owners to purchase an FSD Subscription for another owner for different month options
You’ll be able to gift FSD to someone! https://t.co/V29dhf5URj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 3, 2025
Tesla has officially launched the program on its Shop. Sending one month of Full Self-Driving costs $112:
“Gift one month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal intervention. All sales are final. Can only be purchased and redeemed in the U.S. This gift card is valued at $112.00 and is intended to cover the price of one month of FSD (Supervised), including up to 13% sales tax. It is not guaranteed to cover the full monthly price if pricing or tax rates change. This gift card can be stored in Tesla Wallet and redeemed toward FSD (Supervised) or any other Tesla product or service that accepts gift card payments.”
Tesla has done a great job of expanding Full Self-Driving access over the past few years, especially by offering things like the Subscription program, free trials through referrals, and now this gift card program.
Gifting Full Self-Driving is another iteration of Tesla’s “butts in seats” strategy, which is its belief that it can flip consumers to its vehicles and products by simply letting people experience them.
There is also a reason behind pushing Full Self-Driving so hard, and it has to do with CEO Elon Musk’s compensation package. One tranche requires Musk to achieve a certain number of active paid Full Self-Driving subscriptions.
More people who try the suite are likely to pay for it over the long term.
News
Tesla expands Robotaxi app access once again, this time on a global scale
Tesla said recently it plans to launch Robotaxi in Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas.
Tesla has expanded Robotaxi app access once again, but this time, it’s on a much broader scale as the company is offering the opportunity for those outside of North America to download the app.
Tesla Robotaxi is the company’s early-stage ride-hailing platform that is active in Texas, California, and Arizona, with more expansion within the United States planned for the near future.
Tesla said recently it plans to launch Robotaxi in Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas.
The platform has massive potential, and Tesla is leaning on it to be a major contributor to even more disruption in the passenger transportation industry. So far, it has driven over 550,000 miles in total, with the vast majority of this coming from the Bay Area and Austin.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
However, Tesla is focusing primarily on rapid expansion, but most of this is reliant on the company’s ability to gain regulatory permission to operate the platform in various regions. The expansion plans go well outside of the U.S., as the company expanded the ability to download the app to more regions this past weekend.
So far, these are the areas it is available to download in:
- Japan
- Thailand
- Hong Kong
- South Korea
- Australia
- Taiwan
- Macau
- New Zealand
- Mexico
- U.S.
- Canada
Right now, while Tesla is focusing primarily on expansion, it is also working on other goals that have to do with making it more widely available to customers who want to grab a ride from a driverless vehicle.
One of the biggest goals it has is to eliminate safety monitors from its vehicles, which it currently utilizes in Austin in the passenger’s seat and in the driver’s seat in the Bay Area.
A few weeks ago, Tesla started implementing a new in-cabin data-sharing system, which will help support teams assist riders without anyone in the front of the car.
Tesla takes a step towards removal of Robotaxi service’s safety drivers
As Robotaxi expands into more regions, Tesla stands to gain tremendously through the deployment of the Full Self-Driving suite for personal cars, as well as driverless Robotaxis for those who are just hailing rides.
Things have gone well for Tesla in the early stages of the Robotaxi program, but expansion will truly be the test of how things operate going forward. Navigating local traffic laws and gaining approval from a regulatory standpoint will be the biggest hurdle to jump.
Tesla gamifies Supercharging with new ‘Charging Passport’
Tesla launches its coolest gift idea ever just a few weeks after it was announced
