Tesla Model 3 and Model Y to have faster processors, 12v li-ion battery and more

New Tesla Model Y Performance models coming out of China this month have the biggest changes we've seen to the car so far. The cars have several major hardware changes that improve the infotainment system, noise isolated and more.

Tesla starts using 12v lithium-ion batteries

JayinShanghai/Twitter

Infotainment Processor

The first major upgrade is the processor that powers the car's infotainment display. It has been upgraded from the Intel Atom processor to a much faster AMD Ryzen chip. It's the same chip that's used in the redesigned Model S and X, although the Model S and X feature 16GB of ram while these new Model Ys appear to have only 8GB.

This processor is much faster than the Atom processors that are currently in Model 3s and Model Ys.

Graphics Processor

The new Model S and X feature a dedicated GPU that is capable of PS5-like graphics. The system is able to play one of the most intensive video games, Cyberpunk 2077.

We thought that this chip would be exclusive to Tesla's higher-priced vehicles, but surprisingly, the new Model Ys feature the same graphics processor in the new Model S and X.

.@xiaoteshushu GigaWorkshop Tear-down of Tesla MIC Model Y Performance.

First look inside the new MCU component, GPU (AMD Ryzen) is the same as Model S Plaid.#Tesla #TeslaChina #ModelYPerformance $TSLA @teslacn @elonmusk @AMDRyzen pic.twitter.com/boiDbIiuw0

— Jay in Shanghai ?? (@JayinShanghai) November 28, 2021

It appears that Tesla plans to keep the infotainment and graphic processors the same across their entire lineup of cars. Having such an advanced processor will surely open up the possibilities to new games and enhanced capabilities in the car.

MCU 3

When the Model S was unveiled, it contained this new processor and high-end gaming capabilities. At the time, no one was sure whether this hardware would be exclusive to the Model S or whether it would trickle down to other vehicles.

Tesla MIC Model Y Performance First Look！

Does AMD Ryzen seem to make the new MIC Model Y Performance look smoother than ever?

What do you think?

AMD YES？

(Video shared by users in our community group) $TSLA @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/0kfLm2G6vo

— 42HOW (@42how_) November 26, 2021

However, at this point it's fairly certain that the AMD Ryzen chip and graphics processor Tesla is using will be a part of Tesla's MCU 3 and will be used across their entire fleet.

Software

Although the new Model Ys coming out of China contain the same CPU and GPU processors as the new Model S, they still feature the same 15" screen as other Model Ys. They also still use the same user-interface as all current Model Ys, although they're certainly capable of running the same Tesla interface in the new Model S.

It's not clear whether the new interface is still being adapted for slightly smaller screens, but we expect that these new Model Ys with MCU 3 will be running the updated Tesla interface in the future.

We don't know if vehicles with MCU 2 will be able to run the updated interface at some point. Tesla employees have previously said off the record that MCU 2 isn't capable of running the new interface found on the new Model S, but it's possible that Tesla figured out a way to run the new interface on MCU 2 vehicles. If the new interface comes to MCU 2 cars, it'll likely need to be adapted to be able to run on slower hardware or limit some of its features, such as dragging and docking windows.

12v Battery

All Teslas up until the release of the redesigned Model S and Model X used 12v lead-acid batteries. This lower voltage battery is used to power door locks, electronics and other smaller items in the car that can't be run off of the high voltage battery.

The 12v lead-acid batteries in Model 3 and Model Ys are the same kind found in just about every other car. The battery is recharged off of the car's main battery. These lead-acid batteries last about four to five years, but we've seen them last only a couple years as well.

With the new Model S, Tesla switched to a lithium-ion based battery that is much lighter and lasts much longer than lead-acid batteries.

These new Model Ys coming out of GIGA Shanghai are coming with the same lithium-ion battery that is found in new Model S and X vehicles.

The battery is estimated to last the life of the vehicle and never needs replacing. This is a nice improvement and it's a great way for Tesla to reduce Tesla service visits.

It also helps increase customer satisfaction and lower the maintenance required for Teslas even further.

Although replacing a lead-acid battery in a vehicle isn't an expensive procedure, having a lithium-ion battery that doesn't need to be replaced is a nice improvement for all future Tesla owners.

It'll be interesting to see whether Tesla will be able to upgrade lead-acid batteries to their lithium-ion models in future service calls for any customers that need one replaced.

Other Changes

Another change that has been noticed in these new models is that the rear passengers windows now have double laminated glass similar to the front windows, to help further isolate road noise.

It's possible that there are other smaller changes in these new models as well, but these have been the major changes observed so far.

These hardware changes are currently exclusive to new Model Y Performance models coming out of China. Tesla slowly makes changes to its lineup throughout the year when possible, but the changes we're seeing here are major improvements to the vehicle.

You can be sure that all Tesla factories will adopt the same hardware changes we're seeing in China across all models in the coming weeks or months.

There has now been a video posted that compares how much faster MCU 3 is compared to MCU 2 when loading various apps.

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Tesla FSD V13 Makes Big Improvements Around Emergency Vehicles, School Buses and Speed Zones [VIDEO]

HABiBtheDWEEB / bilalsattar

Tesla’s FSD V13.2.2 continues its rollout to the HW4 fleet, now complete with holiday goodness that makes it available to all HW4 vehicles. While FSD V13 is capable of some incredible feats, such as three-point turns, there are some additional capabilities Tesla hasn’t talked about yet.

Emergency Vehicle Handling

First up, better handling for emergency vehicles. While Tesla works on gathering audio data to make emergency vehicle detection even better, Tesla improved how it handles emergency vehicles with FSD V13.

FSD previously had issues handling emergency vehicles - sometimes pulling over and stopping on V12, other times requiring driver intervention to do the job. This led to lots of user interventions when an emergency vehicle was detected. Ensuring you’re out of the way of an ambulance can save precious seconds - which is enough to save lives.

V13 now does a much better job of pulling overly safely to the side for emergency vehicles. Check out the video below of FSD pulling the vehicle over to the side of the road.

First time ever witnessing FSD pull over for an ambulance! @edgecase411 pic.twitter.com/pZlort36PF

— Bilal Sattar (@bilalsattar) December 21, 2024

School Buses

Another issue that FSD had trouble handling previously was school buses. Previously, FSD would ignore the stop sign and flashing lights and attempt to drive around the bus.

School buses often required driver intervention, but it seems Tesla has dedicated time to training FSD V13 to handle them properly now. Check out this post of FSD now successfully stopping and waiting for a school bus.

FSD v13 stopped for a school bus! Waited till the stop sign folded in and then proceeded forward! pic.twitter.com/ReU4enxnNB

— HAB!B (@HABiBtheDWEEB) December 19, 2024

Speed Zone Handling

Reduced speed zones, including school zones, have had mediocre handling by FSD in previous versions. Now, some initial speed zone handling has arrived in V13.2. However, while it does handle some speed zones with blinking signs, it doesn’t necessarily handle all speed zones. For now, while Supervising, drivers will need to make sure their vehicles don’t exceed the speed limit, especially in school zones. In the meantime, look at this speed video of the vehicle handling a speed zone with FSD V13.

Slightly better video of FSD V13 responding appropriately to flashing yellow lights indicating it’s temporarily a 20mph zone. It didn’t exceed 25 despite being set to a much higher max speed

Wish I had it engaged before the turn though, my brain wasn’t working pic.twitter.com/D091lqmROh

— Geoff Coffelt (@Skate_a_book) December 20, 2024

Camera Cleaning

As part of V13, Tesla included some interesting features addressing hardware - namely camera cleaning, The initial changelog was slightly vague: “Improved Camera Cleaning” and nothing else.

It turns out this actually refers to the camera heating elements around the vehicle, including those around the B-Pillar. According to FSD engineer Yun-Ta Tsai, this is far more complex than just heating the camera up.

The system integration team does a lot of energy and thermal optimization across the entire vehicle, to optimize autonomy.

This is just one example. The heating is actually more complex than just heating it up.

Yes, real world AI cares about these things, a lot!

Join us, if… https://t.co/EprJ805FYi

— Yun-Ta Tsai (@YunTaTsai1) December 21, 2024

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Tesla Addresses Cybertruck Tonneau Cover Leaks with New Rubber Seals

The new Rubber Seal on the Aero Flap

theMONK11/Reddit

The Cybertruck features an automatic tonneau that lets you lock in valuables. It rolls back and forth along a track and is somewhat water-resistant. Tesla never said that the tonneau would be waterproof, but many owners have encountered a lot of water flowing into their tonneau covers.

The place where the glass roof meets the plastic strip - the aero flap- seems to be the location where most of the water gets in, and this has been noted by many as a constant source of leaks - while the rest of the bed stays mostly dry.

Tesla has attempted to fix this by adding additional slats to the tonneau, which ensures that there are slats left over underneath the aero cover, thereby providing some additional water resistance. However, it looks like they’re doing more now to prevent these leaks. 

New Rubber Seals

Tesla intends to issue a service code - the term they use for service bulletins to fix common problems - for this particular issue. This service code will include the removal of the old aero flap and the installation of a new aero flap that has additional rubber seals - similar to the ones used on windows. Thanks to theMONK11 on Reddit for catching this and providing the photo.

The service code hasn’t gone live yet, so it looks like Tesla is only testing this new part for owners who have complained about excessive water intrusion. We’ll likely see this new flap, with the additional rubber seals, become a standard part on newly built trucks to resolve this issue.

For everyone else, you’ll need to put in a service ticket with Tesla, but we would recommend waiting a few weeks before doing so. That will give them time to finalize the process and have the new part sent around to service centers across North America. Given that this isn’t a critical issue to the functionality of the vehicle, Tesla likely will not issue a recall for this - so it’ll be up to owners to create a service ticket and have the new applique installed.

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