Model Y teardown reveals signs of air suspension, compares rear motor to Model 3

Auto engineering expert Sandy Munro of Munro Associates continues his teardown of the Tesla Model Y and the latest video takes a look at the suspension of the latest electric vehicle from the Californian EV maker and compares its rear motor to that of the Model 3.

Munro’s teardowns have gathered a great deal of attention in the past, and he has famously drawn praise from Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk for his fair analysis of Tesla builds including both pros and cons.

In January, Musk tweeted in response to Munro’s comments on the redefining all-electric Cybertruck that he thinks “Munro’s analysis of Tesla engineering is accurate, both pro & con. I think he will appreciate some elements of the Model Y body design.”

More recently Musk commented via Twitter on Munro’s evaluation of the Model Y’s rear body casting, saying “High quality critical feedback from Munro & Co is much appreciated!”

As we reported last Thursday, Munro has noted some differences between the Model Y and Tesla’s first “mass-market” electric car, the Model 3, as he focussed on battery pack differences. And he thinks they may help Tesla save on costs.

Now, Munro has turned his attention to the suspension and the rear motor, and has not only found more cost savings but also some interesting differences that may indicate some pretty significant features for the Model Y.

First up is the suspension, which Munro notes is isloated from the motor drive system. This, he says, will greatly reduce the vibration felt in the vehicle for driver and passengers.

Some key differences include a new knuckle (which attaches the steering and suspension components together) and adjoining arm. While the central arm is a more expensive piece of kit, the right-hand arm is made from two stampings. The latter is cheaper to make, says Munro, possibly to make up for the greater expense in the main arm.

But the most interesting find is in the coil suspension, says Munro. “There is there is every reason to believe that if they wanted to they could move away from standard coil suspension system,” he says in the video which you can view at the end of this article.

There is, hidden under the body of the Model Y, a small sticker that indicates the vehicle Munro and his team have pulled apart as a standard coil suspension.

“So why would I put that down there if if maybe that wasn’t an option?” he says.

As Munro points out, “maybe what we’ve got here is a potential for moving away from a conventional suspension and moving toward something that may be like an air or magnetic suspension system.”

As we’ve seen in a recent Model X and Model S upgrade, Tesla is already utilising the premium vehicles’ adaptive air suspension to allow a “Chetah Stance” that would lower the front end of the vehicle to prepare for launch – much like a Cheetah.

Munro thinks Tesla may be preparing to add air suspension as an option for the Model Y, and if this does become an option it could be useful for more than just getting a head start at traffic lights.

“Really and truly, there’s a lot of good advantages,” says Munro noting lowering ride height when driving fast could be one of them.

But he also notes, “If we’ve got a lot of people that are a little older or people who are handicapped, it’d be a lot easier for them to get in and out of the vehicle if the car would kneel.”

“We think there’s surprises in here,” he says.

Model Y rear motor mysteries

Moving onto the Model Y’s rear motor, which is an IPM (interior permanent magnetic) motor compared to the Model 3’s AC induction, Munro notes that there are differences here also.

One is in the endplate of the motor, which on the Model 3 was magnetic.

“They’ve gone from a type of stainless steel which means that this plate is not magnetic. Stainless steel if it’s high enough like 3-1-16 stainless, it isn’t magneti,” says Munro.

There is also a minor difference in the balancing holes, which stop the motor from wobbling while the vehicle it is driving. These are flat on the Model 3 but pointed on the Model Y, although Munro doesn’t note what the ignificance of this might be.

More importantly, he points to a difference in sizing of the stator coil, which uses the same size stator ring despite the larger size of the Model Y motor.

“You can see that they are smaller in diameter over here … it’s not nearly as long as what the IPM motor is so there are differences, but let’s look at something that we find kind of amazing – the stator ring fits nicely,” he says.

“We’re wondering about how it all comes together.”

Munro says when they look at the motor next they will pull both the Model Y and Model 3 apart for an in-depth comprison – stay tuned.

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