If people do end up buying these I really hope they know what they are giving up. Something as simple as "seat controls" were deemed too costly and are now driven by software on the touch screen. I used to give the "software defined car" a bit of leeway on some of the omissions / transition to screen, but these cars are the extreme and I wonder if legislators are going to allow this. For example, I checked on the Tesla Japan and Tesla Europe websites and it doesn't look like these are for sale.
It's not likely that I would want to buy a Tesla anyway, though; the design ethos is not for me.
Seat controls should be on the seat. That's just logical.
Why would this one-and-done setting saved per driver profile and synced across yours teslas require physical controls? It’s a nice to have but clearly not a requirement.
With touch screen controls, there's a lot of "friction" to adjust your seat, so you probably just "suffer" instead.
Can you see that if there was less "friction" to adjust your seat, you might do it more often?
No, it’s just Teslas. Being an EV does not mean it has to have idiotic control schemes. The Ioniq 5 has sane seat controls, as one counter-example.
Finally that stock price will make sense.
/s
Theories range from the solid headliner being cheaper than the original one to the glass being made from a cheaper and possibly less sound proof material.
Stripping a Model Y isn't a long term plan. Its just a short term slight increase of car sales at best.
java-man•4mo ago
[0] https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/electric-cars/leaf/specs-...
highwaylights•4mo ago
denysvitali•4mo ago
fnicfnac•4mo ago
moogly•4mo ago
denysvitali•4mo ago
For podcast apps, IIRC Apple Music and for sure Spotify are supported. Still not convinced that Android Auto / CarPlay is superior, sorry.
moogly•4mo ago
I use neither Apple Music nor Spotify and I'm not alone.
denysvitali•4mo ago
Sure, having a native app is better, but in any case the Netflix and Disney+ apps are nothing than a Chromium wrapped app anyways on the infotainment
moogly•4mo ago
supportengineer•4mo ago
supportengineer•4mo ago
Just one example.
denysvitali•4mo ago
I'm saying IIRC because I never used this feature, just read about it - I don't sync my calendar (yet!)
guywithahat•4mo ago
denysvitali•4mo ago
Marsymars•3mo ago
How would that even work in a Tesla?
vardump•4mo ago
At least CarPlay is pretty disappointing compared to Tesla's native functionality. The "apps" are all very trivial, mostly reduced to playback control or simple selections.
Not a Tesla owner, but I've driven it enough to appreciate.
slipheen•4mo ago
The native apps are … fine?
Again, it’s just my particular perspective, but I really appreciate that any CarPlay vehicle has the exact apps that I set up on my phone, already configured, etc.
There’s nothing Tesla could ever really do to compete with the convenience of already having all of my accounts set up and already having exactly the apps installed that I know I want.
dangus•4mo ago
If I’m buying a car I need to know that it’ll meet my needs for 10 years or longer.
If a car has CarPlay/Android Auto I know that my infotainment will evolve with the times and that nothing my automaker does can negatively impact my experience. A new phone will resolve any performance or functionality complaints I have with the system.
For one thing, I’ll point out that many Tesla (or GM) features depend on premium connectivity packages where I’m buying a cellular data package twice for no reason.
For another thing, I’ll point out that smartphone operating systems have a much better privacy policy than car operating systems.
I would much rather my car have a “dumb” CarPlay capable screen than a full blown cellular data-enabled operating system that’s tracking me and sending information to my insurance company.
And let’s not forget that CarPlay/Android Auto can integrate so much better with your life on your phone than a system like Tesla, including texts and calls including alternative calling systems like Signal, Zoom, etc. List out every Spotify competitor and see if they have a Tesla native app or not, because a lot of them don’t or only got one recently (like YouTube music).
If we want some non-scientific evidence for how much consumers want CarPlay, just look at how the Honda Prologue is outselling the Chevy Equinox EV despite being essentially the same car.
FireBeyond•4mo ago
Huh? What Tesla phone integrations would you characterize differently than "playback control or simple selections"? And what makes them moreso?
ggreer•4mo ago
While it's true that the base model Leaf is cheaper, I don't think it's available for sale in the US yet. The cheapest inventory I could find was the SV+ for $36,330.[1] I'm guessing like most car manufacturers launching an updated product, Nissan is rolling out their higher margin versions first and will release the cheaper ones after the holidays.
That said, the Leaf does seem like a competitive product. My only worry would be battery issues. Nissan has recalled almost every Leaf produced in the US from 2019-2022 because fast charging could cause battery fires.[2][3] Nissan claimed they'd issue a software update to fix the issue by November of 2024. That was updated to spring of 2025,[4] but there still hasn't been an update. I guess it's fortunate for owners that CHAdeMO chargers are so rare.
1. https://www.nissanusa.com/shopping-tools/search-inventory?mo...
2. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V700-1828.PDF
3. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V655-5278.pdf
4. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCMN-24V700-2544.pdf
java-man•4mo ago
https://www.carscoops.com/2025/09/tesla-sued-over-door-handl...