Episode 545: Model Y Gets 2 Design Updates in China (That Should Go Global)
Ride the Lightning: Tesla and EV Podcast
Ryan McCaffrey
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2026
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As we've seen in the past, Tesla China rolled out a couple of design updates to the Shanghai-built Model Y's. I'll tell you all about them and why we'll probably see them in North America and Europe as well, sooner rather than later. Plus: Tesla's CEO says the Model Y topped global sales charts again in 2025, a Model 3 on FSD successfully completes full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions, and more!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On this week's episode of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla and EV podcast, as we've seen in the past, |
| 0:05.9 | Tesla China rolled out a couple of design updates to the Shanghai built Model Y's. I'll tell you all |
| 0:12.3 | about them and why we'll probably see them in North America and Europe as well, sooner rather |
| 0:17.9 | than later. Plus, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Model Y topped global sales charts again in 2025. |
| 0:26.4 | A Model 3 on FSD successfully completes a full coast-to-coast drive with zero interventions and more. |
| 0:34.1 | Music and more. What's happening, I'm Ryanaffrey, joining you for Ride the Lightning. It is the weekly Tesla and EV podcast. This is episode 545, publishing on January 11th, 2026. I am flanked as always by my two canine friends, Daisy the Boxer, and Lily the Silly Labrador, |
| 1:13.5 | the latter of whom is in heat. So she is trapped in the house. And I just feel bad for her |
| 1:19.7 | that she's, every time I get Daisy's leash to take her out for a walk, Lily starts wagging her |
| 1:24.6 | tail like, all right, it's time. And then she stays home. |
| 1:27.8 | But it'll be over soon, pups. |
| 1:30.7 | This is a palindrome this week, episode 545. |
| 1:34.7 | The number reads the same way forwards and backwards. |
| 1:37.1 | Why do I like palindromes? |
| 1:39.1 | I don't know. |
| 1:39.8 | They're just fun to me. |
| 1:41.4 | But anyway, getting going this week, I want to start by saying thank you to |
| 1:45.6 | listener Joe in Frisco, Texas, who called in response to my request when I said, if anybody out |
| 1:53.7 | there has actually seen a long-range rear-wheel drive cyber truck, please let me know. And Joe called in to say that he has seen one. |
| 2:04.7 | And again, I was questioning the real life existence of that vehicle. |
| 2:08.8 | I'm not really, right? |
| 2:10.1 | I'm half exaggerating. |
| 2:12.0 | But still, I have truly never seen one. |
... |
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