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Tesla Model Y with ‘Refreshed’ interior arrives at U.S. showrooms
Tesla’s “Refreshed” version of the Model Y crossover is hitting U.S. showrooms. The 2021 version of the all-electric crossover is equipped with many of the same features as the Model 3 “Refresh” that was rolled out last year. After initial revisions were spotted in China, the new-and-improved interior arrived at U.S. showrooms.
Just nine months after the first deliveries of the Model Y in the United States, Tesla’s Giga Shanghai facility in China launched production of the all-electric crossover. On New Years Day 2021, Tesla’s Design Studio for the Chinese market unveiled the Model Y, making it possible for citizens to order Tesla’s most recent vehicle. Combined with a newly revised center console, new door panel designs, a heated steering wheel, the Model Y’s revised design was first seen in builds of the 2021 Model 3 “Refresh.”
Tesla Model 3 ‘refresh’ goes live with 353-mile range, Uberturbine wheels, powered trunk, and more
After being available in China for a month and a half, the Model Y’s “Refreshed” interior is now showing up in the U.S. market, as one member of the Tesla Motors Club forum spotted the new interior design on a build at the Rocklin, California, showroom earlier this week.
TMC Member “joeinsac” shared several pictures of the new Model Y interior, evidently displayed by the retractable center console storage design and the improved door panels.
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- Credit: Tesla Motors Club Forums | joeinsac
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- Credit: Tesla Motors Club Forums | joeinsac
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- Credit: Tesla Motors Club Forums | joeinsac
“Joeinsac” said:
“I was at the Rocklin showroom today and noticed several Y’s with the new style console. All of them still had the old style headlights.”
Tesla removed the previous piano-black color for the center console wrap. It was prone to fingerprints and dust and required constant cleaning to maintain its shiny finish. The new design is a matte finish and uses a retractable door. The previous design folded in and eliminated some storage space. Additionally, wireless charging is also available under the center dash screen.
The Model Y variant released in China earlier this year included several other features that are not visible in these photos. These included a heated steering wheel, which is likely included in 2021 Model Y builds as it is already being included in new Model 3s, a HEPA air filtration system that is highly effective against preventing the spread of viruses, bacteria, and odors from entering the cabin. This is referenced as Tesla’s “Bioweapon Defense Mode” in the Model S and Model X.
Tesla has made several revisions to all four of its currently-offered vehicles in recent memory. After refreshing the Model 3, the Model Y was next, as the two vehicles share interior designs that are nearly identical. The Model S and Model X, Tesla’s long-standing flagship vehicles, both also experienced significant modifications to their interior design announced by Tesla during the company’s Q4 2020 Earnings Call.
What do you think? Be sure to leave a comment below, or you can contact me directly at joey@teslarati.com or @KlenderJoey on Twitter.
News
Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory
This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.
Samsung has received temporary approval to begin limited operations at its semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas.
This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.
Samsung clears early operations hurdle
As noted in a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung Electronics has secured temporary certificates of occupancy (TCOs) for a portion of its semiconductor facility in Taylor. This should allow the facility to start operations ahead of full completion later this year.
City officials confirmed that approximately 88,000 square feet of Samsung’s Fab 1 building has received temporary approval, with additional areas expected to follow. The overall timeline for permitting the remaining sections has not yet been finalized.
Samsung’s Taylor facility is expected to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chips once mass production begins in the second half of the year. The facility is also expected to produce Tesla’s upcoming AI6 chips.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that the design for AI5 is nearly complete, and the development of AI6 is already underway. Musk has previously outlined an aggressive roadmap targeting nine-month design cycles for successive generations of its AI chips.
Samsung’s U.S. expansion
Construction at the Taylor site remains on schedule. Reports indicate Samsung plans to begin testing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment next month, a critical step for producing advanced 2-nanometer semiconductors.
Samsung is expected to complete 6 million square feet of floor space at the site by the end of this year, with an additional 1 million square feet planned by 2028. The full campus spans more than 1,200 acres.
Beyond Tesla, Samsung Foundry is also pursuing additional U.S. customers as demand for AI and high-performance computing chips accelerates. Company executives have stated that Samsung is looking to achieve more than 130% growth in 2-nanometer chip orders this year.
One of Samsung’s biggest rivals, TSMC, is also looking to expand its footprint in the United States, with reports suggesting that the company is considering expanding its Arizona facility to as many as 11 total plants. TSMC is also expected to produce Tesla’s AI5 chips.
News
Anti-Tesla union leader ditches X, urges use of Threads instead
Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now.
Marie Nilsson, chair of Sweden’s IF Metall union and a prominent critic of Tesla, has left X and is urging audiences to follow the union on Meta’s Threads instead.
Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now.
Anti-Tesla union leader exits X
In a comment to Dagens Arbete (DA), Nilsson noted that her exit from X is not formally tied to IF Metall’s long-running labor dispute with Tesla Sweden. Still, she stated that her departure is affected by changes to the platform under Elon Musk’s leadership.
“We have stayed because many journalists pick up news there. But as more and more people have left X, we have felt that the standard has now been reached on that platform,” she said.
Jesper Pettersson, press officer at IF Metall, highlighted that the union’s departure from X is only indirectly linked to Tesla Sweden and Elon Musk. “Indirectly it does, since there is a lot of evidence that his ownership has caused the change in the platform to be so significant.
“We have nevertheless assessed that the platform had value for reaching journalists, politicians and other opinion leaders. But it is a microscopic proportion of the public and our members who are there, and now that value has decreased,” Petterson added.
IF Metall sees Threads as an X alternative
After leaving X, IF Metall has begun using Threads, Meta’s alternative to the social media platform. The union described the move as experimental, noting that it is still evaluating how effective the platform will be for outreach and visibility.
Pettersson acknowledged that Meta also does not operate under Sweden’s collective bargaining model, but said the union sees little alternative if it wants to remain visible online.
“In a perfect world, all large international companies would be supporters of the Swedish model when they come here. But unfortunately, the reality is not like that. If we are to be visible at all in this social media world, we have to play by the rules of the game. The alternative would be to become completely invisible, and that would not benefit our members,” he said.
Despite many recent rumors and various reports, Elon Musk confirmed today that SpaceX is not developing a phone based on Starlink, not once, but twice.
Today’s report from Reuters cited people familiar with the matter and stated internal discussions have seen SpaceX executives mulling the idea of building a mobile device that would connect directly to the Starlink satellite constellation.
Musk did state in late January that SpaceX developing a phone was “not out of the question at some point.” However, He also said it would have to be a major difference from current phones, and would be optimized “purely for running max performance/watt neural nets.”
Not out of the question at some point. It would be a very different device than current phones. Optimized purely for running max performance/watt neural nets.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 30, 2026
While Musk said it was not out of the question “at some point,” that does not mean it is currently a project SpaceX is working on. The CEO reaffirmed this point twice on X this afternoon.
Musk said, “Reuters lies relentlessly,” in one post. In the next, he explicitly stated, “We are not developing a phone.”
Reuters lies relentlessly
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 5, 2026
We are not developing a phone
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 5, 2026
Musk has basically always maintained that SpaceX has too many things going on, denying that a phone would be in the realm of upcoming projects. There are too many things in the works for Musk’s space exploration company, most notably the recent merger with xAI.
SpaceX officially acquires xAI, merging rockets with AI expertise
A Starlink phone would be an excellent idea, especially considering that SpaceX operates 9,500 satellites, serving over 9 million users worldwide. 650 of those satellites are dedicated to the company’s direct-to-device initiative, which provides cellular coverage on a global scale.
Nevertheless, there is the potential that the Starlink phone eventually become a project SpaceX works on. However, it is not currently in the scope of what the company needs to develop, so things are more focused on that as of right now.
Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory
Anti-Tesla union leader ditches X, urges use of Threads instead
