Connect with us

News

Tesla Model Y teardown first impression by Sandy Munro

Credit: YouTube | Munro Live

Published

on

The Tesla Model Y Performance has officially arrived at Munro and Associates office in Auburn Hills, Michigan, as automotive industry veteran Sandy Munro and his team begin their full teardown of the new all-electric crossover. Munro specified the teardown would consist of a complete disassembly of the vehicle starting from the inside of the car.

The teardown will allow Munro in his team to thoroughly assess Tesla’s newest vehicle by examining the quality of the car from its parts to its build quality. Additionally, Munro clarified that his team would be extremely focused on four main components of the vehicle. These include the lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicle motors, inverter/converter system, and the wire harness.

Munro’s red Model Y was delivered from California to the Munro office on March 30, 2020. Munro offered his first impressions of the vehicle on the following day by complementing the build quality of the crossover. “In the past, we’ve thrown rocks at what Tesla came out with, but I can tell you right from here…this [car] looks in pretty good shape.”

Munro did take his gap gauge to the crossover and noticed an extreme improvement in the vehicle’s build quality compared to the Model 3. Upon inspection, the front driver and front passenger doors were identical from all angles that Munro measured.

Advertisement

There was a slight discrepancy of just a single millimeter between the two door’s “sills,” or where the bottom of the door meets the frame of the car, but Munro notes the difference would only be visible to some of the most trained eyes. This led to the automotive veteran complimenting Tesla on the vast improvement in the fit and finish between the Model 3 and Model Y.

The gaps located above the Model Y’s lamps were also flawless and indicated a perfect four-millimeter space on each side, allowing Munro to give credit once again.

There were a few gaps that Munro advises Tesla to work on, but he was quite happy that he received an early version of the vehicle because it would allow the Silicon Valley-based carmaker to make improvements as time went on. “I’m sure that [Tesla] will start tuning things in, just as I was certain that the Model 3 would start tuning things in. Again, all in all, not bad,” he said. “For an early-stage product, this is pretty good.”

The rest of the teardown process of the Model Y will consist of multiple live stream events from the Munro headquarters. On Wednesday, April 1, MunroLive will officially kick off its first live stream with a complete analysis of the vehicle, as he will complete a further breakdown of the Model Y from its fit and finish to its thermal system.

Advertisement

On April 14, a live stream of a rapid disassembly of the vehicle will begin at 8 A.M. EST. “Our team will work around the clock until the Model Y is completely disassembled. The team will dig into the intricacies of the batteries, HV electronics, thermal systems, and user interface,” MunroLive.com notes.

The complete teardown will be available for viewing at MunroLive.com. The already completed portions of the teardown, including a description of the teardown process and the first impressions, can be viewed here, or on the Munro Live YouTube channel. Munro’s breakdown of the gap gauge measurements is available below. 

Advertisement

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla just unlocked sales to 50,000+ government agencies

It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.

Published

on

Credit: Patrick Bean | X

Tesla just unlocked sales to over 50,000 government agencies by entering a new agreement with Sourcewell, a purchasing cooperative.

Tesla entered a new master purchasing agreement with Sourcewell, the largest government purchasing cooperative in the U.S. This will enable streamlined sales of its EVs to more than 50,000 U.S. public entities. Tesla entered Designated Contract 0813525-TES, and the agreement covers Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck, and potentially other vehicles the company could release.

It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.

The deal allows eligible agencies, including cities, school districts, state governments, and higher-education institutions, to purchase Tesla vehicles directly through Sourcewell without conducting their own lengthy competitive bidding or request-for-proposal (RFP) processes.

Pricing is pre-negotiated and capped, providing transparency and predictability. Agencies simply register for a Sourcewell account online or by phone and place orders under the existing contract. This cooperative model aggregates demand across thousands of members, reducing administrative costs and time while ensuring compliance with public procurement rules.

For Tesla, the agreement removes major barriers to government fleet sales. Public-sector procurement cycles often stretch 12 to 18 months due to bidding requirements and committee reviews.

Tesla buyers in the U.S. military can get $1,000 off Cybertruck purchases

By securing the master contract, Tesla gains immediate, simplified access to a massive customer base that previously faced friction in adopting EVs. The company highlighted in its announcement that the partnership will help these 50,000-plus agencies “save thousands of $$$ in operating costs for their vehicle fleet over time” through lower maintenance, energy efficiency, and the elimination of tailpipe emissions.

The initial four-year term runs through November 13, 2029, with options for up to three one-year extensions, offering long-term stability for both parties.

Sourcewell’s role is central to execution. As a cooperative purchasing organization, it negotiates and manages vendor contracts on behalf of its members, then makes them available nationwide. Participating entities contact Tesla’s dedicated fleet team or Sourcewell representatives to complete purchases, bypassing redundant paperwork.

This structure accelerates fleet electrification while maintaining fiscal accountability—agencies receive pre-vetted pricing and terms without reinventing the wheel for each vehicle order.

The partnership positions Tesla to capture a larger share of the public fleet market, where total cost of ownership often favors electric vehicles once procurement hurdles are removed.

For government buyers, it translates to faster deployment of sustainable fleets, reduced long-term expenses, and alignment with environmental mandates. As more agencies transition, the contract could contribute to broader EV infrastructure growth and taxpayer savings across the country.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

How much of SpaceX will Elon Musk own after IPO will surprise you

SpaceX’s IPO filing confirms Musk will maintain his voting power to make key decisions for the company.

Published

on

By

Rendering of Elon Musk overlooking a Starship fleet (Credit: Grok)

Elon Musk will retain dominant voting control of SpaceX after it goes public, according to the company’s IPO prospectus that was filed with the SEC. The filing reveals a dual-class equity structure giving Class B shareholders 10 votes each, concentrating power with Musk and a handful of other insiders, while Class A shares sold to public investors carry one vote.

Musk holds approximately 42% of SpaceX’s equity and controls roughly 79% of its votes through super-voting shares. He will simultaneously serve as CEO, CTO, and chairman of the nine-member board after the listing. Beyond that, the filing includes provisions that may limit shareholders’ influence over board elections and legal actions, forcing disputes into arbitration and restricting where they can be brought.

The case for Musk holding this level of control is grounded in SpaceX’s actual history. The company’s most important bets, from reusable rockets to a global satellite internet constellation, were decisions that ran against conventional aerospace thinking and would likely have faced resistance from a board accountable to investor gains. Fully reusable rockets were considered economically irrational by established industry players for years. Starlink, which now generates over $4 billion in annual operating profit, was widely dismissed as financially unviable when it was proposed. The argument for concentrated founder control seems straightforward, and the decisions that built SpaceX into what it is today required someone willing to ignore consensus and absorb years of losses.

SpaceX files confidentially for IPO that will rewrite the record books

For context, Musk’s position is significantly more dominant than Zuckerberg’s at Meta. The comparison with Tesla is also worth noting. When Tesla did its IPO in 2010, it did not issue dual-class shares. Musk has only recently pushed for enhanced voting protection, proposing at least 25% control at Tesla in 2024 after selling shares to fund his Twitter acquisition left him with around 13%.

SpaceX has clearly learned from that experience and structured the IPO differently by planning to allocate up to 30% of shares to retail investors, roughly three times the typical norm for a large offering. The roadshow is expected to begin the week of June 8, with a Nasdaq listing rumored to be a $1.75 trillion valuation and a $75 billion raise.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla bolsters App with new safety, insurance, and storage features

The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is bolstering its smartphone App with a series of new features to streamline operations for owners. The new additions include fixes to safety, its in-house insurance offering, and storage management for Dashcam clips.

The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.

But in classic Tesla fashion, the company is aiming to improve the offerings of the app, and it is doing so with a handful of new features. They were first discovered by Tesla App Updates.

Tesla Insurance – Safety Score 3.0

This is truly part of the Spring 2026 Update, but Tesla has now given more transparency on how FSD has saved people money on their premiums.

Tesla intertwines FSD with in-house Insurance for attractive incentive

Additionally, Tesla is now automatically awarding a Safety Score of 100 for every mile traveled on Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

Update Tracking

Updates traditionally appear on the App or on the Center Touchscreen in the car. There is nothing better than seeing that Green Arrow at the top of the screen, or opening your app and seeing that there is a Software Update available.

Now, there will be no need to manually check the app and initiate the download. Tesla is enabling a new feature that will automatically download updates for you.

Storage Management

Your USB drive can now be remotely formatted, and old Dashcam clips can be deleted straight from the phone. When you record a lot of things using the Dashcam feature, that storage fills up pretty quickly.

Now, manually deleting the Dashcam videos is easier than ever.

Trailer Light Test

This is perhaps the coolest and most crucial addition to the Tesla App, as those who tow and haul will now be able to trigger a diagnostic light sequence from the app while standing behind your trailer to ensure the brake lights work.

Verifying your trailer lights are connected properly and operating normally and as intended is normally a massive hassle.

Now, a new trigger will be available to initiate a diagnostic light sequence directly from your phone.

Continue Reading