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Tesla owner gets rare Model Y interior tour after spotting crossover while Supercharging
One lucky Tesla owner had the rare opportunity to go inside a Model Y and give their account of how the interior of the all-electric crossover compares to their Model 3 sedan.
Michael Hughes, who goes by the handle @mickthughes on Twitter, shared his experience with the Model Y after spotting it at the San Luis Obispo Supercharger station on the central coast of California. According to the Model 3 owner, the Tesla employee that was driving the Model Y allowed him to briefly explore the vehicle’s front and second-row seating. “I got to sit in front passenger and back passenger seats,” noted Hughes, adding that the vehicle had an “amazing layout/storage space & seating.”
Model Y sighting second day in a row. Got to talk and see the entire inside (no pics by request). Car will be in Jay Leno show soon! Amazing layout/ storage space & seating. Got to sit in it. @Model3Owners @Teslarati @ElectrekCo @TeslaPodcast @thirdrowtesla @ModelYNews pic.twitter.com/2euhELzxg0
— Michael Hughes (@mickthughes) January 19, 2020
Hughes wasn’t able to snap photos of the Model Y’s interior upon the request of the Tesla employee but was able to share some interesting details about the crossover.
According to the Model 3 owner, the Model Y’s front looks very similar to the mass-produced sedan up close but the back clearly differed. Hughes also pointed out Model Y’s glass roof that no crossbeam, making for an expansive and unobstructed overhead view. The interior is far roomier than the Model 3 and its rear seats can accommodate three adult passengers comfortably, according to Hughes.
The storage of the Model Y is also bigger than that of the Model 3. The speakers have been moved to free more side storage. He also noticed that the seats can “power” fold with a press of a button.
A recent sighting of the Model Y next to a Model X revealed how the size of the crossover is surprisingly close to the Tesla SUV. The Model Y was almost as tall as the Model X, which has a standard height of 66 inches. The width of the two vehicles shows that the flagship SUV is larger than the Model Y but it appears Tesla was able to design the upcoming crossover to have a roomy interior despite sharing most of its DNA with the smaller Model 3 sedan.
The Tesla Model Y that Hughes checked out at the charging station did not have a third-row seat but he noticed a space that might be allotted for the optional configuration. Over the weekend, a Japanese blog posted a new photo of the Tesla Model Y third-row seats and there were also car seat rails that will allow occupants to adjust the second-row seats to provide comfortable legroom for the occupants at the rearmost passenger seats. With third-row seats, the Model Y will be able to accommodate seven passengers, perhaps a big advantage over its competitors such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and the Jaguar I-PACE that’s designed to seat five passengers.
Its huge. Seriously, not model X but completely different and open from my 3. There are two under storage compartments. A big one like model 3 just bigger and a second one!!!! But more for aesthetics than storage space but would fit briefcase, etc
— Michael Hughes (@mickthughes) January 19, 2020
The Model Y isn’t just a chunkier Model 3 and a smaller Model Y but it’s sounding that it will have a character of its own. The Tesla Model Y’s CARB certification was recently published, hinting that deliveries might come sooner than expected. Model Y production was initially planned to begin Summer 2020 but now expected to begin as early as this quarter.
The Model Y will be sold in three variants. The Rear-wheel Drive Long Range version will go for $48,000 while the Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive Long Range and Performance versions will sell for $52,000 and $62,000, respectively, before potential savings.
Tesla has evidently revealed which of its vehicle models will be the first to receive Starlink integration: the Cybercab.
Tesla’s Santana Row showroom now has a full-fledged display of the Cybercab, with an extensive bit of information hung around an exhibit that seems to reveal the vehicle’s newest feature: an integrated Starlink antenna that will enable secure and reliable internet access during trips.
Credit: @Starscream_SJC | X
Cybercab is geared toward autonomous ride-hailing for one or two passengers. The production units rolling off the lines at Gigafactory Texas are built without steering wheels or pedals, meaning when public rides begin, passengers will not need to interact with a human being or control the vehicle in any way outside of what appears on the center screen for their entertainment during the ride.
Tesla Santana Row will be reopening tomorrow with a full focus on self-driving. Everything in the showroom is about Robotaxi and Cybercab with stats and information about the technology. The Cybercab on display is the production model. pic.twitter.com/yIUYdOGFOp
— Shaun Cassidy (@Starscream_SJC) July 20, 2026
Along the display, Tesla wrote this message about Cybercab:
“Cybercab is built for autonomy. It has no steering wheel, no side mirrors, and no pedals. It goes where you tell it to go and how you want it to, so you can relax along the way. It is hyper aware and responsive to your surroundings, monitoring other drivers, responding to emergency vehicles, utilizing its expertise in the rarest scenarios to help keep you safe.”
Tesla has been teasing a potential Starlink integration for quite some time now. In December, the company hinted at potential Starlink internet terminal integration within its vehicles in a patent that described a vehicle roof assembly with integrated radio frequency (RF) transparency.
The company wrote in its patent application that a new roof design built with materials that differ from the standard metallic or glass elements used in today’s cars would allow it to integrate modern vehicular technologies, in particular, ones that require radio frequency transmission and reception.
Tesla suggested high-strength polymer blends, like Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate.
This is the first time we’ve seen Tesla officially confirm the Starlink integration into the Cybercab. It’s not much of a surprise considering the company’s intention behind the Cybercab, which is to make travel autonomous.
Productivity will now be at a maximum during a work-related commute, while the center screen could be utilized for Netflix or potentially even live TV for those who are heading to dinner or to a fun activity.
SpaceX has updated its target for the thirteenth integrated flight test of Starship, aiming for as early as Thursday, July 23. The 90-minute launch window opens at 5:45 p.m. CT from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
The target flight was initially rescheduled for today, but SpaceX pushed it back again.
This latest adjustment follows an aborted attempt earlier in the week and reflects the iterative, rapid-development approach that has defined the Starship program. With the vehicle already stacked and ground teams making final preparations, the mission represents another step toward proving the full reusability of the world’s most powerful rocket system.
Now targeting to launch Starship’s thirteenth flight test as early as Thursday, July 23 → https://t.co/Rp7VwBzpWx pic.twitter.com/Y0YNzfc5zk
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 19, 2026
The original launch attempt on July 16 was scrubbed at T-0 when several Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster failed to ignite properly. The automatic abort system triggered just as the engines began their startup sequence, preventing liftoff.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that some engines did not start as expected, prompting the decision to replace two Raptors on Booster 20 to ensure reliability. The issue occurred despite a successful full-duration static fire earlier, highlighting the complexities of coordinating 33 engines under flight conditions.
This cautious approach underscores SpaceX’s commitment to safety amid an aggressive test cadence.
Flight 13 builds directly on the lessons from Flight 12 in May 2026. The Super Heavy booster’s primary goals include a successful liftoff, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and controlled splashdown in the Gulf of America.
Hardware and software modifications address the off-nominal flip and boostback burn problems from the prior flight, where propellant slosh and engine relight issues led to an uncontrolled impact.
For the Starship upper stage, objectives include deploying 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites, the first real payload of this type, performing a single Raptor engine relight in space, and executing a controlled entry, descent, and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Propulsion upgrades aim to improve engine-out capability after one vacuum Raptor was lost on Flight 12.
Additional test elements focus on heat shield performance. Six satellites carry cameras to image the tiles during flight, while white-painted tiles and upgraded attachments on flaps and the aft skirt will gather data for future reusability.
The FAA completed its mishap investigation into Flight 12 earlier this month, clearing the regulatory path.
This suborbital mission, the second with V3 vehicles, advances Starship toward operational missions, including potential crewed flights and support for NASA’s Artemis program. Success would mark significant progress in rapid reusability and satellite deployment from the massive system.
Elon Musk dismissed reports claiming SpaceX had placed a massive order for NVIDIA GPUs worth $52 billion. The denial came hours after Taiwanese media, citing unnamed industry sources, reported that SpaceX planned to acquire approximately 13,000 AI server racks, equating to roughly 1 million GB300 GPUs, from Foxconn.
Each rack was estimated at around $4 million, with deliveries potentially starting in late 2025.
The story suggested this would mark SpaceX’s first major foray into Foxconn-manufactured NVIDIA hardware, breaking from suppliers like Supermicro and Dell. Musk responded bluntly on X:
This is fake news
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2026
Despite the denial, the rumored scale aligns with SpaceX’s explosive growth in AI infrastructure. NVIDIA’s GB300 (successor to the GB200 NVL) racks deliver unprecedented performance for large-scale training and inference. A $52 billion commitment would dwarf most corporate AI budgets and provide the compute muscle needed for frontier models.
SpaceX already operates gigawatt-scale terrestrial clusters like Colossus in Memphis, Tennessee, and has monetized them aggressively through leasing deals.
SpaceX’s newest Starmind will make earth data centers obsolete
Major customers include Anthropic (paying ~$1.25 billion monthly for 220,000+ GPUs), Google (~$920 million monthly for 110,000 GPUs), and Reflection AI. These arrangements are projected to generate tens of billions in annual revenue, far outpacing traditional SpaceX businesses.
Such an investment would fuel internal AI efforts, particularly Grok models under the integrated SpaceXAI division, while supporting ambitious orbital data center plans. SpaceX envisions launching thousands of AI-optimized satellites powered by solar energy and cooled in space, bypassing terrestrial power and land constraints.
This “Starmind” constellation could position the company as a leader in space-based computing.
SpaceX as an Emerging AI Powerhouse
Once primarily known for reusable rockets and Starlink satellite internet, SpaceX has transformed into a multifaceted AI player.
The 2026 acquisition of xAI integrated Grok development directly into the company. Starlink’s low-latency global network complements massive compute clusters, enabling efficient data flow for training and serving AI models.
Musk has long argued that AI scaling demands solutions beyond Earth, citing things like real estate and electricity limits on the ground.
While the Foxconn deal may not be in the cards, SpaceX’s trajectory is continuing on the path of blending aerospace engineering with hyperscale AI to dominate both launches and intelligence infrastructure.
Tesla reveals first vehicle model to receive Starlink integration
SpaceX adjusts Starship Flight 13 test launch target date once again
