A new Tesla Model Y with upgrades debuted in China recently. Tesla China announced the upgraded Model Y via its official Weibo account. In a later comment, Tesla China’s Customer Support team also revealed that the Model Y update still uses Hardware 3.0.
“Model Y, which continues to evolve, has made another evolutionary debut,” noted Tesla China announced.
Tesla’s announcement of its new Model Y captured the attention of many. Tesla watchers speculated if the new Model Y will feature Hardware 4.0. Tesla China’s Customer Support team responded to the question by stating that the vehicle still has Hardware 3.0.
“Hello, the updated Model Y’s autonomous driving hardware is not 4.0, it still uses 3.0,” Tesla China’s Customer Support team replied.
Tesla’s latest Model Y upgrades are not enough to call it a total refresh. Nonetheless, the recent upgrades to the Tesla SUV would make it difficult to choose between the updated Model Y and the refresh Model 3 Highland.
Tesla China’s Weibo account listed all the changes customers can expect from the upgraded Model Y, including its new textile dashboard and RGB ambient light with 256 colors on the dash.
The new Model Y is also available with 19-inch black Gemini wheels. The wheels were previously silver.
The black Gemini wheels improve the Model Y RWD’s range by 554 km (344 miles) according to the CLTC standard. The Tesla Model Y RWD’s range increased with the new black Gemini wheels by about 5 miles. Tesla also offers the 20-inch induction turbine wheels with the Model Y for an additional RMB 8,000 ($1,115)
Gigafactory Shanghai’s new Model Y also underwent other changes that might account for the Model Y Dual-Motor AWD Long Range’s (LR) increased range and the improved wind resistance coefficient. The range of the new Model Y LR variant increased by about 17 miles to 428 miles of range per charge. The new Model Y has an improved wind resistance coefficient of 0.23.
The Model Y RWD starts at RMB 263,900. Meanwhile, the Model Y Long Range and the Performance variant cost RMB 299,900 and RMB 349,900, respectively.
Over the weekend, Tesla China also announced that its referral bonus would end on October 31. New Tesla customers can avail up to RMB 3,500 on their final payment and receive a 90-day trial period of Enhanced Autopilot through the referral program
The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via X @Writer_01001101.

Elon Musk
Tesla is building a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country

Tesla is planning to build a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country — Roswell, New Mexico.
Back in 1947, a crash of debris led to rumors of an alleged crash of a UFO just 75 miles north of Roswell near Corona, New Mexico. The crash was officially noted as the recovery of a military balloon, but over the years, speculation persists that the “flying disc” many saw might have been extraterrestrials trying to make contact with Earth.
As a result of the 1947 crash, Roswell has adopted it and used it as the inspiration for much of its tourism. As Tesla is planning to build a Supercharger in the area, it is using the same sort of inspiration for the location, which will feature just eight charging stalls located under a CyberCanopy.
It was first spotted by MarcoRP, a noted Supercharger permit insider:
A new Supercharger is coming soon to Roswell, New Mexico!!
Tesla is currently planning a Cyber-UFO themed station at the Whataburger on N Main St.
The site will feature 8 charging stalls, located under a CyberCanopy with RGB fixtures and a 20.88kW solar array. pic.twitter.com/4BOyM1iuTx
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) April 2, 2025
Here are some better pictures of the design:
- Credit: MarcoRP | X
- Credit: MarcoRP | X
Tesla’s Head of Charging for North America, Max de Zegher, confirmed that the site will be inspired by the events near Roswell in 1947. He noted that Tesla “wants to build a few Superchargers cool enough to be worth of the trip itself.”
This will undoubtedly be one of those locations, and along with the Tesla Drive-in Diner Supercharger in Santa Monica, it seems the company could be moving toward some more unique designs for the future, making the charging experience more fun and interesting for owners:
We want to build a few Superchargers cool enough to be worthy of the trip itself. Wish we could have kept it under wraps for longer, but submittal was needed for Planning Approval. We can’t hide anything from @MarcoRPi1! 🙂 pic.twitter.com/X2WaKDd408
— Max de Zegher (@MdeZegher) April 2, 2025
Elon Musk
This Tesla vandal caused thousands in damage, but she was let off the hook: Here’s why

A Tesla vandal in Bloomington, Minnesota, caused $3,200 in damages to a car after keying it. However, the local police department, as well as the owner of the Tesla, let her off the hook.
As a Tesla sat in the parking lot of a Cub Foods grocery store, it was damaged in an act of vandalism that we are unfortunately seeing all too frequently. Police managed to locate the woman responsible for the damage, aiming to hold her responsible for the scrapes she applied to the vehicle.
However, in an act that many might not be able to perform, the owner of the Tesla did not want to pursue any criminal charges. Instead, they just wanted their car fixed.
Police Chief Booker Hodges said (via Minnesota Star Tribune):
“The victim in this case just wanted their car fixed, and they just wanted the suspect to pay for that. Based on the totality of the circumstances here, and along with our core value of being compassionate, this is the best outcome for everybody involved in this case.”
It was an incredible act of forgiveness, as many of those who have had their Teslas damaged in response to CEO Elon Musk likely would not have been able to do the same thing. One person who had their vehicle keyed filed a civil lawsuit against the vandal, who damaged their car while it was parked at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, seeking $1 million in damages.
Chief Hodges finished his remarks about this specific situation by calling out the leaders who have spread a hateful narrative about Musk and Tesla, and the company’s vehicle owners as well:
“We need our leaders to start leading and stop feeding this rhetoric. People should be able to drive whatever car they want without fear of going into a store and someone scratching their car or people yelling at them because of the car that … they choose to drive. It’s time for all of us, you know, just to start getting along and knock this stuff off, man. People should be able to be left alone.”
While Chief Hodges did not mention anyone specifically, Minnesota politician and former VP candidate Tim Walz said earlier this month that he “gets a boost” when Tesla stock falls. He later retracted his statement by stating it was just a joke.
News
Tesla Model Y tops Norway sales despite low Q1 delivery results
The new Model Y ended March as Norway’s top-selling vehicle for the month, with 1,819 units sold.

Tesla did not meet delivery expectations in the first quarter of 2025, and a huge reason behind this was the changeover to the new Model Y in Giga Texas, the Fremont Factory, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin.
Despite Tesla’s disappointing Q1 vehicle delivery results, the new Model Y still made a significant impact in key markets such as Norway.
The new Model Y’s Norway Comeback
While sales of the new Model Y in January and February were low in Norway, the vehicle saw a lot of momentum as soon as deliveries of the updated all-electric crossover started. This resulted in the new Model Y ending March 2025 as Norway’s top-selling vehicle for the month, with 1,819 units sold.
Over the course of Q1 2025, Tesla was able to sell a total of 2,792 Model Y units. That was enough to also make the all-electric crossover Norway’s best-selling vehicle in the first quarter. This is quite an impressive feat for Tesla, especially since sales were throttled during the quarter due to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y.
Tesla in Other European Markets
Tesla’s results in Europe during the first quarter were a mixed bag. In Germany alone, Tesla saw 4,935 vehicles sold in Q1 2025. As per the German road traffic agency KBA, Tesla’s sales in March dropped 42.5% to 2,229 units year-over-year. This was despite overall EV registrations rising 35.3% during the month.
In Italy, new vehicle registrations rebounded 51% in March from the previous year to 2,217 units, as per data from the Transport Ministry. This is still quite impressive considering that Tesla has become a very polarizing carmaker in Europe, thanks in no small part to CEO Elon Musk’s politics and close relation to U.S. President Donald Trump.
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