Tesla connected to two North American expansion rumors

Tesla gets a dedicated lane at the border

Bloomberg

Elon Musk has stated that "at least 10 or 12 Gigafactories" will be able to produce 1.5 to 2 million vehicles each, or about 20 million vehicles annually. There are currently five Gigafactories worldwide, including three in the United States. Tesla is seemingly ramping up efforts to build two more Gigafactories in North America after a Musk spotting in Mexico and another job opening in Canada.

Media outlets in Nuevo León, Mexico, circulated photos of Musk with a state official and the state governor's wife. The state borders Texas; it gave Tesla suppliers their own lane at the border in June. An apparent gesture that Nuevo León welcomes Tesla with open arms.

It is an obvious location for the company, with at least six suppliers working in the state. The economy minister of Nuevo Leon, Ivan Rivas told Bloomberg that 5 to 7 percent of investment in the state would come from the EV industry in 2022.

The state is pro-business and has the population to support an extensive facility. More than 5 million people are in the state, including nearly 1.5 million in the state's largest city, Monterrey. It is also one of the highest educated populations in Mexico.

Nuevo León's Governor, Samuel García Sepúlveda, and several other high-ranking state officials toured Tesla Gigafactory in Texas in April. "We have come to endorse this agreement, that all the assembly, products and all the export of cars that are made in California and in Texas (from Tesla) are going to cross the Colombia Bridge," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, another exciting job has appeared on the Tesla careers page in Quebec, Canada. At the same shareholder meeting where Musk said he wanted 10 to 12 more Gigafactories, he asked the crowd where they should be located. "We get a lot of Canada," he said, and "I'm half Canadian, so maybe I should?"

It appears that Tesla's recruiting efforts are escalating in Quebec. In September, the company posted a recruiter position in Montreal, and now a Recruiting Coordinator posting in Laval. The job details state the successful candidate will work closely with high-volume recruiters in a fast-paced organization.

Over the summer, there was rampant speculation that the great white north would get a Gigafactory. It was revealed that Tesla met with the Canadian government four times in six months. Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, stated the country is ramping up efforts to become an EV powerhouse. He was recently asked about the Telsa rumors and said, "stay tuned."

Tesla’s New Signal Viewer Panel in Service Mode+ Allows You to View Real-Time Data

@scotsrule08 on X

Tesla’s latest software update, version 2025.2, brings new features to Service Mode, continuing the trend of improving in-vehicle diagnostics.

Currently, this feature is only available for vehicles with AMD Ryzen infotainment systems and requires Service Mode+, which is a subscription service aimed at technicians. Intel-powered vehicles aren’t supported yet, but we expect this feature to roll out to them as well unless hardware limitations prevent it.

Thanks to Spencer for providing an image of the panel in action.

Signal Viewer Panel

While update 2025.2.6 adds four service mode improvements, including updates to brake burnishing, charge port calibration, and noise recording panel improvements. In this article, we’ll focus on the new signal viewer panel.

This new panel offers a live data feed from selectable vehicle sensors. You select the signals you’re interested in and it’ll plot the signal on a graph. In addition to allowing you to view real-time signal data, it also allows you to record them.

The signals are searchable and can be easily added or removed from the panel. You can track up to 10 sensors, and the UI allows three of them to be viewable at once.

However, this is Service Mode and it’s more than just pretty looks. You can really dig down into these charts. You can pan them left and right through time, and tapping a specific point shows the exact value of that signal. The panel also supports pinch-to-zoom, enabling you to adjust the time scale across all panels simultaneously.

This feature is exclusive to Service Mode+, which requires a subscription to Tesla’s ToolBox3 software and a connection to a computer. It’s designed to help technicians diagnose issues related to signal quality, noise in the vehicle’s electrical systems, and signal variance in components during driving.

We’re excited to see Tesla’s continued focus on repairability, especially with additions like the Cybertruck’s Interactive Wiring Diagram and the launch of the Tesla Online Parts Catalog, which lets customers purchase parts directly.

Plus, with the reduced cost of ToolBox 3 subscriptions, even DIY enthusiasts now have access to tools that make Tesla repairs more accessible.

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Tesla Introduces New Model Y Variants in Europe; Ends Launch Series

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Tesla has updated its Model Y lineup in Europe, introducing new standard configurations while discontinuing the limited-edition Launch Series. With the new variants now available, European customers will have more choices and cheaper options to pick from.

The Launch Series and some of its exclusive features will no longer be offered—except in the UK, where it remains available alongside the new lineup.

New Models Introduced

Tesla’s new Model Y lineup in Europe includes three main variants. The prices vary slightly from country to country.

• Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD): Priced at €44,990, this model is the most affordable new Model Y, but it also has the shortest range and is missing a few features available on other trim levels.

• Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (LR RWD): Available for €49,990, this version is essentially the same as the RWD model, but with a larger battery. It has seen a €1,000 price increase compared to the outgoing Long Range RWD model.

• Long Range All-Wheel Drive (LR AWD): At €52,990, this model has seen a price drop of €2,000, making it a better deal than the previous LR AWD Model Y. This is also the only new Model Y to come with most of the same features as the Launch Series, including additional speakers, a subwoofer, premium materials inside the cabin and improved acceleration. Acceleration boost should also become available for this model, letting it match the performance of the Launch Series.

All Model Y variants come with all the improvements that we’ve discussed about the new Model Y, including the new front and rear light bars, improved aerodynamics, ventilated seats, improved heat and sound isolation, and the 8-inch rear touchscreen. Some exclusive options, like the Midnight Cherry Red paint, appear to no longer be available. However, Tesla has already said that they’ll be introducing new paint options for the Model Y in North America.

Compare Model Y Variants

Here’s how the various Model Y variants compare to each other:

Launch Series Ends

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The Launch Series, which debuted just weeks ago in Europe, has now been phased out. This limited-edition model was priced at €60,990 and included a suite of premium features comparable to a bundle deal you may find with other products. It came equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD), Acceleration Boost, and exclusive badging on the rear liftgate, door sill plates, and puddle lights.

While the Launch Series is no longer available for new orders in most European countries, customers can still get a similar vehicle by opting for the Long Range AWD model and manually adding premium features like FSD. Acceleration Boost, which was standard in the Launch Series, is expected to become available for purchase once these vehicles are delivered or soon afterward. However, some exclusive elements, such as badging and trim details, will remain unique to the discontinued edition.

For now, the UK remains an exception, still offering the Launch Series alongside the newly introduced models.

Performance Model Still to Come

With Tesla now introducing the expected variants of the refreshed Model Y, one notable absence is the Performance model. While the Launch Series was fast due to the Acceleration Boost addon, there’s no doubt the Performance version will be in a league of its own.

What we saw Tesla do with the 2024+ Model 3 Performance variant was more than just using binned motors. The vehicle featured unique bumpers, a spoiler, an improved suspension, sport seats, Track Mode V3 and other features that made the vehicle stand out compared to the Model 3 AWD.

The Performance version of the new Model Y is expected to become available later this year, however, expect it to carry a $5-$8k premium over the AWD model.

Other Regions to Follow

As Europe phases out the Launch Series, other regions are expected to see similar changes. With the other models now revealed, owners in other regions have a better idea of whether they should buy the Launch Series or wait for the additional models to arrive.

Tesla naturally adjusts its offerings based on market demand, and if sales of the Launch Series remain strong in other parts of the world, Tesla will likely wait it out a little longer before offering the other models.

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