

News
Tesla Model Y arriving in late 2019 or 2020 on non-Model 3 platform
Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y electric compact SUV will ride on a different platform than the Model 3, allowing for higher manufacturing efficiency. While Musk hasn’t revealed a large amount of information on the Model Y, he told analysts during today’s Q1 earnings call that contrary to expectations, Model Y will ride on a completely different platform. Musk highlighted the reduced wiring in the Model Y will enable faster manufacturing and an overall less complex design. Tesla’s flagship Model S and Model X have approximately 3 km of wiring within the vehicle, while Tesla’s highly anticipated Model 3 will have roughly half of that at 1.5km of wiring. Model Y on the other hand will only have 100m of wiring, a 95% reduction over Model 3.
While wiring isn’t the only difference in the platform, Musk highlights it as a major example of the evolution. The wiring in the Model Y will have different voltage and will handle both power and data across the vehicle. The changes in the vehicle’s design will allow for much higher automation in the factory. Musk viewed the Model Y as a crucial piece to reach the 1 million vehicle production target.
“I mean, also to be clear like the priority vehicle development after the Model 3 would be the Model Y, I guess, the compact SUV, because that’s also a car that where we expect to see demand in the 500,000 to 1,000,000 unit per year level. So it’s the obvious priority after the Model 3.” – Musk from Q2 2016 Earnings Call
Tesla’s future compact SUV is expected to arrive in late 2019 or early 2020 after the company scales up production of the Model 3. While many perceive that Tesla often misses production deadlines, Musk reiterated that the Model X was really a showcase of Tesla’s technical abilities and proved to be very difficult to put into production. The Model Y will be built on a new platform that redesigns the vehicle’s architecture, as Musk stated that 12V electronics would be removed in favor of next-generation electronics. The serial tech entrepreneur explained that the 12V design “isn’t really right” for most electronics, leaving room for improvements.
It’s unclear how much time Tesla’s engineering team is putting into the Model Y currently, as focus remains on Model 3 production and first deliveries. Additionally, we expect Model Y’s new vehicle architecture will eventually debut in the next generation of Model S and Model X, along with the 2170 battery cells being used in Model 3.

Elon Musk
Tesla is testing a Model 3 with some mysterious cameras in the U.S.

Tesla is testing a Model 3 with some mysterious cameras, potentially hinting toward the imminent release of the Cybercab and robotaxi platform in the United States.
After Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in Los Angeles in early October, the company suggested that it would be on its way to launching driverless rides in the U.S. in the near future.
Now, Tesla is inching toward a driverless ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, among some other potential locations, but it is still working toward a platform that is robust enough to handle it.
Although the company’s Full Self-Driving suite is one of the more advanced on the market, Tesla is still working to accomplish what it feels is a mode of transportation that is safer than a human driver. The robotaxi and Cybercab rollouts will likely accomplish that, but there is still work to be done beforehand.
Now, Tesla is testing a Model 3 in the U.S. that was spotted in several different locations in the Northeastern part of the country, as cameras are seen on this vehicle in locations that are not necessarily typical for what it offers currently:
🚨 A user on r/TeslaMotors spotted this Model 3 with some interesting and never-before-seen camera locations.
Possible Cybercab or Next-Gen testing? pic.twitter.com/J6W6cKCiL9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 31, 2025
Another one is seen here:
@teslascope Tesla spotted collecting Cybercab data WITH front bumper cam in Boston, MA. (Potentially different front cameras too.) Is Tesla currently including bumper cam video in training data? Will this be required for Unsupervised? pic.twitter.com/5rHPOp2tBe
— Dylan (@Dylan02939106) March 31, 2025
Interestingly, we saw similar camera locations on the Cybercab at the event in October. Tesla is not testing the Cybercab but instead implementing these cameras on a comparable position on its other vehicles.
These are the cameras we spotted on the Cybercab at the event in October:
In the past, Tesla has used a variety of strategies to measure self-driving accuracy, including LiDAR, which has been seen on some testing mules that we have spotted out in public.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company does not need LiDAR on testing mules for ground truth, but we still spot them from time to time on public roads.
It’s an appropriate way just to cross Ts and dot Is:
Tesla Model X testing mule spotted with LiDAR rig ahead of Robotaxi event
The company is still moving toward that initial rollout of driverless ride-hailing in Austin in June, and some company executives have stated that the Cybercab will be the vehicle it uses for these initial rides.
Elon Musk
Tesla adds security feature to Android with latest software update

Tesla is bolstering its release of features to Android users as it is rolling out some new things with its latest software update.
Update v4.43.5 will see Tesla add a Dashcam Viewer for Android phones, a new feature that will make it simpler to access and manage both Dashcam and Sentry Mode videos. This has been available to iPhone users for some time, but Android owners have not had access to this quite yet.
Tesla describes the release of the feature in release notes (via Not a Tesla App):
“The Dashcam Viewer is now available in the Tesla app for Android users.
The Dashcam Viewer makes it easy to access and manage your car’s Dashcam and Sentry Mode videos. Accessing videos on your phone is faster and more convenient, but it does come with a few requirements.
The Dashcam Viewer in the Tesla app allows you to view, delete, or save video clips right from your device. This should result in higher quality content being shared online and fewer videos of owners recording their Tesla’s screens with their phones.”
The feature creates a more convenient option to view things that your Tesla has captured on its dashcam or on its external cameras through Sentry Mode, its security camera system that records things that happen around the vehicle.
Sentry Mode has been a great addition for Tesla owners lately, as more and more instances of vandalism have been occurring in the past few months.
It seems Tesla might have made it a point to roll this feature out, especially as it would allow those who are getting Sentry Mode alerts to capture footage of keying or tire slashing, two common techniques used by those who dislike Tesla and/or Elon Musk.
Tesla quietly added this extra Sentry Mode feature to deter vandals
The last time Tesla rolled out some features to Android owners was in January when it beefed up offerings for those who do not use iOS. The January update saw Phone Key Improvements and Hands-Free Trunk Opening make their way to Android users.
News
Tesla’s Elon Musk reiterates ambitious Cybertruck water update
Musk has been pretty open about the idea of the Cybertruck being used as a makeshift boat for some time now.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently provided a quick update about the Cybertruck’s “Boat Mode,” a feature that he has long teased on social media.
Musk has been pretty open about the idea of the Cybertruck being used as a makeshift boat for some time now.
Cybertruck “Boat Mode”
Back in October 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared some ideas about how the Cybertruck could function as a boat of sorts. At the time, the vehicle was not yet released, and speculations suggested that the all-electric pickup truck would really have a “Boat Mode” feature.
Musk noted then that for the Cybertruck to actually be capable for crossing a body of water, it would need an electric propeller mounted on the tow hitch. The CEO also noted that the Cybertruck may need a creative wheel hub that can generate “meaningful thrust.”
While Musk’s ideas for the Cybertruck’s “Boat Mode” were exciting, the vehicle did not include the highly-ambitious feature when it started consumer deliveries in late 2023.
The Cybertruck’s Water Performance
This was not to say that the Cybertruck did not have a dedicated feature for crossing bodies of water. Dubbed “Wade Mode,” the feature allows the Cybertruck to drive through big puddles, rivers, or creeks. The maximum wade depth for Wade Mode is only 32 inches, though owners of the all-electric pickup truck have been known to drive the vehicle through bodies of water that are significantly above 32 inches.
One such video emerged recently, showcasing a Cybertruck driving on one side of Lake Grapevine in Texas without any difficulties. The video shocked users in social media, though CEO Elon Musk noted on X that “With a little work, it should be able to cross some open water.”
Musk’s comments suggest that Tesla may not be done with the Cybertruck’s “Boat Mode” idea just yet. The CEO, after all, did note in the past that the vehicle should be able to cross the channel from Starbase to San Padre Island, which is about 477 meters (1,565 feet) across. Based on Musk’s comments, perhaps a Cybertruck will really be able to function as a boat in the future.
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