Sandy Munro continues the analysis of the Tesla Model Y, and each subsequent release is even more impressive with positive facts about the car. Model Y's welding performance shows high build quality, and some improvements significantly improve safety of the car.
Munro is impressed with the weld technique. Welds have a great distance and perfect edges. Any company, domestic or foreign, will be happy to have such perfect welds in their cars. It also shows how far Tesla has gone in improving its product compared to Model 3, which Munro took apart in 2018.
At that time, the host made some comments about welds and as practice showed, they were heard by Tesla. This also pleasantly surprised Munro, because it indicates that the company is striving to make its cars better and is ready to listen to constructive criticism for this.
Source: MunroLive/YouTube
In addition to improving welds, Tesla also used self-piercing rivets, or SPRs, to connect dissimilar materials such as steel and aluminum. These two materials are present on the welds of the rear door flange, ensuring high-quality assembly of car door frames. SPR is a cold mechanical joining process used to join two or more sheets of materials by driving a rivet piercing through the top sheet or the top and middle sheets and subsequently lock into the bottom sheet under the guidance of a suitable die.
Source: MunroLive/YouTube
The next pleasant thing moment was that the automaker installed head impact countermeasures, on several locations, which undoubtedly increases the safety of passengers in the cabin. Trim covers made of impact resistant polymers on vehicle interior sheet metal can contribute to reduction of HIC (d) (Head Injury Criterion, dummy) during headform impact.
Source: MunroLive/YouTube
Munro also discovered a unique piece of aluminum in the upper lip of the trunk, “aluminum rear crush plate / bracket.” This part holds the outer parts of the chassis together and is also responsible for folding in the event of a rear collision. The presenter claims that this is very reasonable, since in the event of an accident, this will prevent the external frame of the car from breaking. This, in turn, will make repairs cheaper, as this part is easy to remove, thanks to several visible and easily accessible bolts, and install a new one.
Source: MunroLive/YouTube
To keep the rear seat assembly and to separate the cab from the chassis of the car in which the battery is installed, under the rear seats Tesla installed not only EPP polyurethane foam, which provides cost-effectiveness and efficiency, but also a Model 3 floor cover. But, unlike Model 3 , they do not use the mount, but instead, the cover is fixed with 4 bolts.
Source: MunroLive/YouTube
Tesla Model Y was conceived as the safest medium-sized SUV and at the moment, the information received from the disassembly process of the car proves that the car meets this aspiration. Build quality has improved markedly, and the design of the car has become even safer and well thought out.
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
