Photo: @doki_jerry via Twitter | Edited
The first leaked image of the upcoming Tesla Model 3 refresh, aka Project Highland, is not yet done dividing the internet, and we already have more to think about these days. New leaks suggest that Tesla might change the dashboard of the Model 3 to make it look more like the Model S.
Update: As we've already suspected (see the last paragraph), the Tesla Model S dashboard in the video shared on Twitter proved to be just that, having no relation to the Model 3 refresh. The video's creator admitted the information was incorrect and the interior parts were actually repair components for the Model S. The bumper is real, though, and more sources confirmed that the Model 3 Refresh prototype picture is also genuine.
Tesla is preparing an updated version of the Model 3 that is expected to start deliveries toward the end of 2023. The first rumors about the refreshed model, developed under Project Highland, surfaced in November 2022. Soon after that, we've seen the first prototypes in the wild. The Model 3 refresh was not meant as a radical redesign of the current model, so it was difficult to follow progress with every new prototype. Still, despite the camouflage, a couple of design changes were easy to spot.
On April 12, an unlikely event changed everything we knew about the refreshed Model 3. Somebody decided to spice up their monotone life and snapped a picture of a secret Tesla prototype, setting the internet on fire. Roughly 24 hours later, new photos coming from China confirmed the previous leak was indeed the real deal. In one of the pictures, we see a Tesla front bumper that looks exactly like the one in the leaked Model 3 image. The video claims that the bumper photo comes from a person working for a Tesla supplier.
The picture also confirms that the upcoming Tesla Model 3 drops the fog lights, another controversial move by Tesla. Fog lights help with driving in the fog because they are placed closer to the ground, causing less dazzling. Just like the ultrasonic sensors, fog lights are not mandatory and are not present on all car models. Still, most cars have them, especially in the luxury segments where Tesla operates.
In a related story, a video shared on Chinese social media shows what appears to be a Tesla Model S dashboard with a twist. The person who posted the images thinks this is the updated dashboard of the refreshed Model 3. The dashboard has a yoke attached and features an instrument panel behind it, besides the huge central screen. Still, it uses cheaper materials, which might indicate that it's not a Model S/X dashboard.
We don't know whether these new leaked images are authentic or related to Project Highland. The dashboard picture is less likely to be a Model 3 part now that Tesla has offered a round steering wheel on the Model S/X. Besides the yoke, putting a new screen in the refreshed Model 3 goes against Tesla's philosophy. The EV maker had always tried to simplify its cars, even when this meant removing critical parts like radar or ultrasonic sensors. That's why not having fog lights makes the previous Model 3 leak so real. Adding a screen in the cockpit would not make the Model 3 better, only more expensive.
Tesla is preparing an updated version of the Model 3 that is expected to start deliveries toward the end of 2023. The first rumors about the refreshed model, developed under Project Highland, surfaced in November 2022. Soon after that, we've seen the first prototypes in the wild. The Model 3 refresh was not meant as a radical redesign of the current model, so it was difficult to follow progress with every new prototype. Still, despite the camouflage, a couple of design changes were easy to spot.
On April 12, an unlikely event changed everything we knew about the refreshed Model 3. Somebody decided to spice up their monotone life and snapped a picture of a secret Tesla prototype, setting the internet on fire. Roughly 24 hours later, new photos coming from China confirmed the previous leak was indeed the real deal. In one of the pictures, we see a Tesla front bumper that looks exactly like the one in the leaked Model 3 image. The video claims that the bumper photo comes from a person working for a Tesla supplier.
The picture also confirms that the upcoming Tesla Model 3 drops the fog lights, another controversial move by Tesla. Fog lights help with driving in the fog because they are placed closer to the ground, causing less dazzling. Just like the ultrasonic sensors, fog lights are not mandatory and are not present on all car models. Still, most cars have them, especially in the luxury segments where Tesla operates.
In a related story, a video shared on Chinese social media shows what appears to be a Tesla Model S dashboard with a twist. The person who posted the images thinks this is the updated dashboard of the refreshed Model 3. The dashboard has a yoke attached and features an instrument panel behind it, besides the huge central screen. Still, it uses cheaper materials, which might indicate that it's not a Model S/X dashboard.
We don't know whether these new leaked images are authentic or related to Project Highland. The dashboard picture is less likely to be a Model 3 part now that Tesla has offered a round steering wheel on the Model S/X. Besides the yoke, putting a new screen in the refreshed Model 3 goes against Tesla's philosophy. The EV maker had always tried to simplify its cars, even when this meant removing critical parts like radar or ultrasonic sensors. That's why not having fog lights makes the previous Model 3 leak so real. Adding a screen in the cockpit would not make the Model 3 better, only more expensive.
?? Model 3 ??? S/X? ?? ??? ??!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/lGFVm77kG3
— ???????????????? (@doki_jerry) April 13, 2023
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