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Tesla Model Y with matte black and chrome trim spotted at LA-Vegas Supercharger
A Tesla Model Y with a combination of matte black window trim and Tesla’s signature chrome trim was spotted at the Barstow, CA Supercharger station over the US Thanksgiving weekend.
Tesla owner and Redditor ChooChooSparky recounts pulling up next to the all-electric crossover while charging, but without initially realizing it was a Model Y. “When I pulled up I thought ‘Wow, they’re serious about blacking it out to take a nap.’ Then when he pulled off the cover and I saw the black model 3 style door handles, ‘That’s no regular Tesla SUV!!,’” noted the Tesla owner.
Another Redditor was in the scene and confirmed the sighting.
“My wife and I were there when it was charging. They had the car completely covered and the guy driving it stayed in the car. I would have never noticed it was a model Y if they hadn’t started putting the cover on,” user Uofaer wrote.
In a video posted to r/teslamotors, the Midnight Silver Metallic Model Y can be seen leaving the Barstow Supercharger station, a common stopping point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and one of Tesla’s first fast-charging stations in Southern California. Noticeable is the Model 3-style door handles and “chrome deleted” matte black trim which made its first debut at the Tesla Model Y unveiling in early 2019. However, chrome trim was also present on the vehicle, a standard finish for the Model S, Model 3, and Model X.
“It actually looked like the chrome trim had tape wrapped all around it. A little part on the front door looked lifted up,” Redditor ChooChooSparky added.
This marks, at least, the fifth Tesla Model Y sighting in recent months and a strong indicator that pre-production could be taking place in early 2020. Just last month, a Model Y was spotted cruising along California Route 17 with several measurement apparatus most likely used to calibrate driver-assist features. Other Model Y sightings revealed the elusive “Wind Turbine” wheels, which were first showcased on a Model 3 prototype at the vehicle’s unveiling event.
As more and more sightings of the Model Y testing on public roads are reported, we can only assume that Elon Musk and his team are gearing up to produce what is anticipated to become the company’s best-selling car. Originally slated for the Fall of 2020, the new customer delivery date of Model Y has been moved up to Summer 2020.
There are also reports that Tesla has instructed parts suppliers BizLink and HOTA to begin production of Model Y parts earlier than scheduled. This indicates that mass production may soon start, possibly even before 2019 ends.
Tesla Model Y has a starting price of $48,000, seating for 5 to 7 people, and available in a Long Range, Dual Motor, and Performance configuration.
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Tesla arson suspect pleads guilty, faces up to 70 years in prison
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges tied to a March 2025 attack on a Tesla Collision Center in Nevada.
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front entrance of the Tesla Collision Center before damaging the facility and multiple vehicles.
Federal prosecutors stated that Kim used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. He then fired multiple rounds into Tesla vehicles on the property.
Authorities stated that Kim later threw three Molotov cocktails into three separate Tesla vehicles. Two of the devices exploded and ignited the vehicles, while a third did not detonate. In total, five Tesla vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm classified as a destructive device.
The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges is five years in federal prison, though the total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years, as per a release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Nevada.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Elon Musk
SpaceX pursues 5G-level connectivity with Starlink Mobile V2 expansion
SpaceX noted that the upcoming Starlink V2 satellites will deliver up to 100 times the data density of the current first-generation system.
SpaceX has previewed a major upgrade to Starlink Mobile, outlining next-generation satellites that aim to deliver significantly higher capacity and full 5G-level connectivity directly to mobile phones.
The update comes as Starlink rebrands its Direct-to-Cell service to Starlink Mobile, positioning the platform as a scalable satellite-to-mobile solution that’s integrated with global telecom partners.
SpaceX noted that the upcoming Starlink V2 satellites will deliver up to 100 times the data density of the current first-generation system. The company also noted that the new V2 satellites are designed to provide significantly higher throughput capability compared to its current iteration.
“The next generation of Starlink Mobile satellites – V2 – will deliver full cellular coverage to places never thought possible via the highest performing satellite-to-mobile network ever built.
“Driven by custom SpaceX-designed silicon and phased array antennas, the satellites will support thousands of spatial beams and higher bandwidth capability, enabling around 20x the throughput capability as compared to a first-generation satellite,” SpaceX wrote in its official Starlink Mobile page.
Thanks to the higher bandwidth of Starlink Mobile, users should be able to stream, browse the internet, use high-speed apps, and enjoy voice services comparable to terrestrial cellular networks.
In most environments, Starlink says the upgraded system will enable full 5G cellular connectivity with a user experience similar to existing ground-based networks.
The satellites function as “cell towers in space,” using advanced phased-array antennas and laser interlinks to integrate with terrestrial infrastructure in a roaming-like architecture.
“Starlink Mobile works with existing LTE phones wherever you can see the sky. The satellites have an antenna that acts like a cellphone tower in space, the most advanced phased array antennas in the world that connect seamlessly over lasers to any point in the globe, allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner,” SpaceX wrote.
Starlink Mobile currently operates with approximately 650 satellites in low-Earth orbit and is active across more than 32 countries, representing over 1.7 billion people through partnerships with mobile network operators. Starlink Mobile’s current partnerships span North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, allowing reciprocal access across participating nations.
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Tesla FSD (Supervised) fleet passes 8.4 billion cumulative miles
The figure appears on Tesla’s official safety page, which tracks performance data for FSD (Supervised) and other safety technologies.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system has now surpassed 8.4 billion cumulative miles.
The figure appears on Tesla’s official safety page, which tracks performance data for FSD (Supervised) and other safety technologies.
Tesla has long emphasized that large-scale real-world data is central to improving its neural network-based approach to autonomy. Each mile driven with FSD (Supervised) engaged contributes additional edge cases and scenario training for the system.
The milestone also brings Tesla closer to a benchmark previously outlined by CEO Elon Musk. Musk has stated that roughly 10 billion miles of training data may be needed to achieve safe unsupervised self-driving at scale, citing the “long tail” of rare but complex driving situations that must be learned through experience.
The growth curve of FSD Supervised’s cumulative miles over the past five years has been notable.
As noted in data shared by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, annual FSD (Supervised) miles have increased from roughly 6 million in 2021 to 80 million in 2022, 670 million in 2023, 2.25 billion in 2024, and 4.25 billion in 2025. In just the first 50 days of 2026, Tesla owners logged another 1 billion miles.
At the current pace, the fleet is trending towards hitting about 10 billion FSD Supervised miles this year. The increase has been driven by Tesla’s growing vehicle fleet, periodic free trials, and expanding Robotaxi operations, among others.
With the fleet now past 8.4 billion cumulative miles, Tesla’s supervised system is approaching that threshold, even as regulatory approval for fully unsupervised deployment remains subject to further validation and oversight.
Tesla arson suspect pleads guilty, faces up to 70 years in prison
SpaceX pursues 5G-level connectivity with Starlink Mobile V2 expansion
