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Tesla Model Y welding efficiencies paves way to better build quality, top safety rating
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Model Y would be the safest midsized SUV on the road when it was unveiled in March 2019. Sandy Munro’s 11th episode of his Model Y breakdown series shows how the vehicle’s weld quality, added foam reinforcements, and “aluminum crush plate” could solidify Musk’s claims about the vehicle’s safety, while opening the doors towards better build quality.
Munro states the company’s focus on one welding technique has left him with nothing but positive remarks about the vehicle’s build quality. “The distancing is great. The edge is perfect. This is the kind of stuff that any car company…would be happy to have these kinds of welds all the way around,” he said.
The Model 3’s weld techniques were discussed during Munro’s teardown of the sedan in 2018 when he criticized Tesla’s use of multiple weld techniques. After stating the Model 3’s welding made it look like “a science project,” Munro claims the use of a single technique would have allowed for a more consistent build quality throughout the vehicle.
True to form, Tesla appears to have taken Munro’s suggestion for the Model Y. Tesla was consistent with the Model Y’s welds, and it surely impressed Munro. The electric car maker also used self-piercing rivets, or SPRs, to join dissimilar materials, like steel and aluminum. These two materials are present on the rear door flange welds, making for a quality build on the vehicle’s door frames.
Additionally, Tesla installed head impact countermeasures, or HICs, on several locations. These are used to soften the blow in the event of an accident where a passenger’s head collides off of a portion of the vehicle’s interior. Tesla’s decision to add this was a nice touch in Munro’s opinion, as it only increases the safety of the vehicle.
The Model Y is also equipped with a unique piece of aluminum in the upper lip of the trunk. Munro calls it the “aluminum rear crush plate/bracket.” The part holds the outer portions of the chassis together. The piece also is responsible for folding in the event of a rear collision.
This increases not only safety but also cost-effectiveness if an accident occurs because it will keep the outer frame of the vehicle from being compromised, Munro says. It is easy to remove thanks to a few bolts that are visible and readily accessible, and would also save a driver perhaps hundreds of dollars in labor costs at a shop. “If I hit a pole, it will cost me a few bucks, but it won’t cost me the whole damn car,” Munro jokes.
Under the rear seats, Tesla has installed not only EPP foam, which offers cost-efficiency and effectiveness, but also the Model 3’s floor cover plate. This is used to hold the rear seating assembly in place and separate the cabin from the undercarriage of the car where the battery is fitted. Tesla’s utilization of this Model 3 part proved the part was perfect for the Model Y, and the company has plenty in its stock bin, saving them time and money throughout the manufacturing process of the new vehicle.
Tesla’s already high safety marks for the Model 3 were improved even further in the Model Y thanks to recommendations from Munro. The auto expert’s discontent with the Model 3’s welding eventually led to improvements in the Model Y’s build quality. Tesla’s decision to add other safety features could make the vehicle Tesla’s safest car yet. Just as Elon Musk said a year ago, the Model Y may very well be the most reliable midsize crossover available to consumers.
Watch Munro Live’s breakdown of the Model Y’s safety features below.
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Musk sets a date for Starship trip to Mars with Optimus on board
Optimus could be the first humanoid to make it to Mars, and Musk has set a date for when he thinks it’ll happen.
Elon Musk has shared when he expects to take Starship to Mars for its first uncrewed mission, and he also says Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot will be on board for the flight.
On Friday, Musk wrote on X that SpaceX’s reusable Starship rocket will take Optimus to Mars at the end of 2026, with human landings expected to commence a few years later.
“Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus,” Musk said. “If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.”
Hold on
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) March 15, 2025
Last year, the SpaceX and Tesla head also expectations that SpaceX would be able to begin uncrewed launches in 2016, with early launches including both Optimus and a Cybertruck unit.
Musk also followed up the announcement with a post on X on Saturday morning, noting that he expects SpaceX to launch more than 90 percent of Earth’s payload mass to orbit this year. Meanwhile, he says China will make up just around 5 percent, while the rest of the world, including other parts of America, would also make up just 5 percent.
He also predicted that that number would go up even further to nearly 100 percent, once SpaceX’s reusable rocket is being launched more frequently.
“When Starship is launching at high rate, SpaceX will probably carry >99 percent of Earth’s payload mass to orbit. This is necessary to make Mars a self-sustaining civilization,” Musk added.
READ MORE ABOUT SPACEX’S STARSHIP: Texas awards SpaceX $17.3M grant to expand Bastrop tech hub
To be sure, Musk has been known to make ambitious claims about when his companies’ products would achieve certain milestones. For example, Musk predicted in 2018 that SpaceX could launch a rocket to Mars with humans aboard by 2024, though SpaceX only began testing the company’s reusable Starship in 2023.
Still, the company has been routinely testing Starship since then, and with increasing frequency, and in October, SpaceX performed the first catch of the Starship’s Super Heavy booster after liftoff to demonstrate the concept that a reusable rocket could be possible. In a launch earlier this month, SpaceX again successfully caught the Super Heavy Booster, though it lost the upper stage to a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” effectively meaning that it had exploded in air and showered surrounding areas with rocket parts.
The explosion was the second consecutive launch in which debris from Starship reigned down, highlighting the continued importance of testing as SpaceX aims to make the rocket a viable product for reusable space travel.
On Friday, SpaceX also launched its Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) to rescue astronauts that have been stuck on the orbital craft, after a Boeing launch was originally intended to bring them back to Earth. While SpaceX attempted to rescue the two astronauts in September, issues with the Starliner craft’s thrusters discovered upon arrival made NASA hold off on approving the return mission.
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U.S. AG Pam Bondi: Tesla Molotov attack suspect facing up to 20 years in prison
The U.S. Attorney General confirmed that a Tesla attacker, who threw Molotov cocktails at a store, is now facing up to 20 years in prison.
It appears that an anti-Tesla activist who is suspected of throwing Molotov cocktails at one of the electric vehicle maker’s stores is now looking at a potentially long prison sentence.
This is, at least, as per United States Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently shared her insights in a FOX News segment.
Tesla Attacks and Trump Warning
Tesla locations and vehicles have been subjected to numerous attacks as of late, from stores being shot up to vehicles being vandalized and set on fire in suspected arson incidents. In one case, a Tesla store in Salem, Oregon, was attacked with Molotov cocktails.
President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to people attacking Teslas, stating that he considers such actions as domestic terrorism. While addressing the issue, Trump warned that anyone caught deliberately harming Tesla will be going through “hell.”
Attorney General’s Update
During a recent FOX News segment, US Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated that anyone targeting others over political beliefs would be caught and punished accordingly. She highlighted that investigations are underway to find out who is behind the violent actions, and she also confirmed that a Tesla attacker, who threw Molotov cocktails at a store, is now facing up to 20 years in prison.
“If you targeted someone, if you went after someone because of their political affiliation, we will be investigating you. We will be looking at you, because that’s the weaponization, and it has to stop. For instance, look what they’re continuing to do to Elon Musk. They are targeting Tesla dealerships, the stations where you charge a Tesla. They’re vandalizing cars. I have already directed an investigation be opened to see how this is being funded. Who is behind this?
“We have people we’re locking up on that. We have someone in jail right now from one of the dealerships. They threw a Molotov cocktail through a dealership. They’re looking at up to 20 years in prison. So, if you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, or do anything, you better watch out, because we’re coming after you. And if you’re funding this, we’re coming after you. We’re going to find out who you are,” Bondi stated.
SpaceX is readying to launch the Crew-10 mission this evening, which will bring home U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months.
SpaceX is working alongside NASA to bring the two astronauts home, and all systems and weather conditions are looking ideal to launch the mission this evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
All systems are looking good and weather is exceptional for tonight’s Falcon 9 launch of @NASA‘s Crew-10 to the @Space_Station → https://t.co/VPdhVwQFNJ pic.twitter.com/wZ9LvZAnYn
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2025
Boeing was originally tasked with the rescue mission.
The company sent a Starliner aircraft to the ISS in late September in an effort to bring Williams and Wilmore home. However, malfunctioning thrusters and other issues on the Starliner aircraft prevented NASA from giving the green light to the astronauts to board and come home.
SpaceX was then tasked with bringing the two home, and it appears they will be on their way shortly.
The launch was intended to occur on Wednesday, but a last-minute problem with the rocket’s ground systems forced SpaceX and NASA to delay until at least Friday. Things are looking more ideal for a launch this evening.
The launch is targeted for 7:03 p.m. ET, but another backup opportunity is available tomorrow, March 15, at 6:41 p.m.
SpaceX writes about the Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the mission:
“The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew NASA’s Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions to and from the space station. This will be the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched the SES 03b mPOWER-e mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.”
The mission will not only aim to bring the two astronauts who have been stranded for nine months home, but it will also conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
If Crew-10 launches at the planned time this evening, it will dock to the ISS at 11:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
Musk sets a date for Starship trip to Mars with Optimus on board
U.S. AG Pam Bondi: Tesla Molotov attack suspect facing up to 20 years in prison
SpaceX readies to rescue astronauts from International Space Station
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