News
Tesla Model Y’s revised suspension impresses car expert: ‘It was like riding on rails’
Automotive industry veteran Sandy Munro is in currently in the process of tearing down the Tesla Model Y. In a recently uploaded video, Munro delved into the vehicle’s suspension system, highlighting some of the subtle differences that Tesla made from the Model 3 to the Model Y.
Munro states that he is impressed with the new suspension of the Model Y. In an interview with Bloomberg Technology on YouTube, he says, “I thought this thing handled really well. I liked it; it was like riding on rails.”
In the recent MunroLive post, Munro highlights the similar suspension design between both the Model 3 and the Model Y, but clarifies that the two are not completely the same. One of the first differences Munro highlights is Tesla’s use of screws on the Model Y’s suspension dampers.
Previously on the Model 3, Tesla utilized a series of small bands to reinforce the sedan’s damper system. The primary function of this piece of the suspension is to quite literally “damper” the amount of bounce during travel. The damper controls the oscillation of the suspension spring and creates a less bumpy and smoother ride.
The reinforcement of the damper to the suspension system with screws creates a more robust and sturdy support. The Model 3’s damper system was subject to some complaints as per posts on the Tesla Motors Club forum, with some owners stating that their cars’ damper systems were weakening. Tesla could have reinforced the Model Y’s suspension system with screws because of the vehicle’s higher weight, as well.
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- The Tesla Model 3’s damper reinforcement, which consisted of “bands,” or zip ties. (Credit: YouTube | MunroLive)
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- The Tesla Model Y’s damper reinforcement system, which consists of screws. (Credit: YouTube | MunroLive)
Munro then commented on the “much beefier” build of the Model Y’s front suspension lower control arm, which is responsible for allowing suspension setting parts to rotate whenever the car is cornering. Tesla’s decision to create a more reliable control arm for the front suspension of the vehicle could also be due to the Model Y’s higher weight compared to the Model 3. But reasoning aside, Munro was happy with the decision to create a more robust control arm as it contributes to the Model Y’s improved suspension system.
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- Tesla Model 3’s lower control arm. (Credit: Pacific Motors)
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- The Tesla Model Y’s front lower control arm. Munro credits it as “beefier” than the Model 3’s. (Credit: YouTube | MunroLive)
In the rear suspension, there were fewer changes compared to the Model 3. The Model Y Performance that perched on top of Munro’s car lift was actually equipped with rear suspension lower control arms that were labeled as Model 3 parts. Munro states the commonality between the two parts not only suggests that Tesla had it right with the Model 3’s rear lower control arm, but that the carmaker will reduce spending money on developing or installing revised parts on its new vehicles. “This is a good idea for carmakers to use, or reuse, parts that have proven to be worthwhile,” Munro says.
The subtle changes Tesla decided to make the Model Y’s suspension system compared to the Model 3 not only increased cost-effectiveness but also improved the overall quality of the vehicle’s suspension. Munro states that a more in-depth analysis of the Model Y’s suspension will come when his team completely disassembles the car. According to this preliminary look at the system, Munro has noted drive quality and build quality improvements that have matched some of his standards so far.
Watch Sandy Munro’s first review of the Model Y’s suspension system below.
Lifestyle
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
California just gave police power to ticket driverless cars, including Tesla’s Cybercab fleet.
California DMV formally adopted new rules on April 29, 2026 that allow law enforcement to issue “notices of noncompliance”, or in other words ticket autonomous vehicle companies when their cars commit moving violations. The rules take effect July 1, 2026 and officially closes a regulatory gap that previously let driverless cars operate on public roads with nearly no traffic enforcement consequences.
Until now, state traffic laws only applied to human “drivers,” which meant that when no person was behind the wheel, police had no mechanism to issue a ticket. Officers were limited to citing driverless vehicles for parking violations only. A well-known example came in September 2025, when a San Bruno officer watched a Waymo robotaxi execute an illegal U-turn and could do nothing but notify the company.
Under the new framework, when an officer observes a violation, the autonomous vehicle company is effectively treated as the driver. Companies must report each incident to the DMV within 72 hours, or 24 hours if a collision is involved. Repeated violations can result in fleet size restrictions, operational suspensions, or full permit revocation. Local officials also gained new authority to geofence driverless vehicles out of active emergency zones within two minutes and require a live emergency response line answered within 30 seconds.
Tesla Cybercab ramps Robotaxi public street testing as vehicle enters mass production queue
California’s new enforcement rules arrive at a pivotal moment for Tesla. The company is ramping Cybercab production at Giga Texas toward hundreds of units per week, targeting at least 2 million units annually at full capacity, while simultaneously pushing to expand its Robotaxi service to dozens of U.S. cities by end of 2026. Unsupervised FSD for consumer vehicles is currently targeted for Q4 2026, and when it arrives, Tesla’s fleet may not have a human to absorb legal accountability, under the July 1 rules.
Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its Robotaxi service to seven new cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, with the service already running without safety drivers in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
News
Tesla Model X shocks everyone by crushing every other used car in America
The Model X is one of Tesla’s flagship models, the other being the Model S. Earlier this year, Tesla confirmed it would discontinue production of both the Model S and Model X to make way for Optimus robot production at the Fremont Factory in Northern California.
The Tesla Model X was the fastest-selling used vehicle in the United States in the first quarter of the year, crushing every other used car in America.
iSeeCars data for the first quarter shows that the Model X was the fastest-selling used car, lasting just 25.6 days on the market on average, two days better than that of the second-place Lexus RX 350h. The Cybertruck, Model Y, and Model S, in seventh, ninth, and thirteenth place, respectively, also made the list.
The Model X is one of Tesla’s flagship models, the other being the Model S. Earlier this year, Tesla confirmed it would discontinue production of both the Model S and Model X to make way for Optimus robot production at the Fremont Factory in Northern California.
Tesla brings closure to flagship ‘sentimental’ models, Musk confirms
Bringing closure to these two vehicles signaled the end of the road for the cars that have effectively built Tesla’s reputation for luxury and high-end passenger vehicles.
Relying on the sales of its mass market Model Y and Model 3, as well as leaning on the success of future products like the Cybercab, is the angle Tesla has chosen to take.
Teslas are also performing extremely well as a whole on the resale market. iSeeCars data shows that, “while the average price of a 1- to 5-year-old non-Tesla EV fell 10.3% in Q1 2026 year-over-year, the average price of a used Tesla was essentially flat at 0.1% lower across the same period. Traditional gas car prices dropped 2.8% during this same period.”
Additionally, market share for gas cars has dropped nearly 3 percent since the same quarter last year. Tesla has remained level, while the non-Tesla EV market share has increased 30 percent, mostly due to more models available.
Nevertheless, those non-Tesla EVs have seen their value drop by over 10 percent, while Tesla’s values have remained level.
Executive Analyst Karl Brauer said:
“Used electric vehicles without a Tesla badge have lost more than 10% of their value in the past year. This compares to stable values for Teslas and hybrids, and a modest 2.8% drop for traditional gasoline vehicles.”
Teslas, as well as non-luxury hybrids, are displaying the strongest resistance in the face of faltering demand, the publication says. But the more impressive performance is that of the Model X alone.
Tesla’s decision to stop production of the Model X may have played some part in the vehicle’s pristine performance in Q1. With the car already placed at a premium price point, used models are already more appealing to consumers. Perhaps second-hand versions were more than enough for those who wanted a Model X, and only a Model X.
Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck’s head-scratching trim sold terribly, recall documents reveal
The head-scratching offering was only available for a few months, and evidently, it did not sell very well, which we all suspected. New recall documents on the vehicle from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now reveal just how poorly it sold.
After Tesla decided to build a Rear-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck trim back in 2025, which was void of many features and only featured a small discount.
The head-scratching offering was only available for a few months, and evidently, it did not sell very well, which we all suspected. New recall documents on the vehicle from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) now reveal just how poorly it sold.
The recall deals with a potentially separating wheel stud and potentially impacts 173 Cybertruck units with the 18-inch steel wheels. The Cybertruck RWD was the only trim level to feature these, and the 173 potentially impacted units represent a portion of the population of pickups. Therefore, it’s not the entire number of RWD Cybertruck sold, but it could show how little interest it gathered.
The NHTSA document states:
“On affected vehicles, higher severity road perturbations and cornering may strain the stud hole in the wheel rotor, causing cracks to form. If cracking propagates with continued use and strain, the wheel stud could eventually separate from the wheel hub.”
Only 5 percent are expected to be impacted, meaning less than 10 units will have the issue if the NHTSA and Tesla estimates are correct. Nevertheless, the true story here is how terribly the RWD Cybertruck sold.
Tesla ended production and stopped offering the RWD Cybertruck to customers last September. For just $10,000 less than the All-Wheel-Drive trim, Tesla offered the RWD Cybertruck with just one motor, textile seats instead of leather, only 7 speakers instead of 15, no Rear Touchscreen, no Powered Tonneau Cover for the truck bed, and no 120v/240v outlets.
For just $10,000 more, at $79,990, owners could have received all of those premium features, as well as a more capable All-Wheel-Drive powertrain that featured Adaptive Air Suspension. The discount simply was not worth the sacrifices.
Orders were few and far between, and sources told us that when it was offered, sales were extremely tempered because customers could not see the value in this trim level.
Even Tesla’s most loyal supporters thought the offering was kind of a joke, and the $10,000 extra was simply worth it.
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
Tesla Model X shocks everyone by crushing every other used car in America
