Photo: YouTube screenshot
There are two reasons you hear so much about the poor fit and finish quality in the Model 3. First, it's because it truly is pretty awful, at least compared to today's standards.
And second, it's because there isn't anything other bad to say about the car. Sure, a heads-up display would have gone a long way, but Tesla chose to ignore everybody's cry for one and it doesn't look like it did anything to quell the public's interest for the new electric sedan.
Its range is excellent (particularly since only the long-range option is available right now) at 310 miles (500 km), its acceleration absolutely decent at 4.6 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint, and its handling is the stuff of dreams - though that shouldn't convince you to take it racing on a track without some prior adjustments (such as more powerful and enduring brakes).
But beyond the public's interest in the newcomer, the rest of the automotive industry hasn't remained indifferent either. We've seen two Model 3s flown to Europe where rumors say they might have ended up in BMW's hands for a bit of reverse engineering (which shouldn't surprise anyone considering the company's recent declarative activity in the segment).
Now, another carmaker much closer to Tesla's home can be suspected of doing the exact same thing. A fellow named Mark snapped a few pictures of a Model 3 being driven inside Ford's Campus close to its "Connected Car Innovation Center" and sent them to EV-website electrek.
Like BMW, Ford's EV efforts are more in a development phase, which would make the 3's presence there not the least surprising. However, since we're talking about the "Connected Car Innovation Center" and we also know Ford is working on its own autonomous driving tech, the 3 could serve two purposes. This suspicion is further encouraged by the fact the vehicle's front-facing cameras had been taped over, suggesting the Autopilot might have been put to the test somehow.
Regardless, this is probably great news for Ford fans everywhere who are expecting a decent electric vehicle from their favorite brand. They will still have to wait until at least 2020, but thanks to the possible Model 3 dissection, they might end up with a much better car.
Its range is excellent (particularly since only the long-range option is available right now) at 310 miles (500 km), its acceleration absolutely decent at 4.6 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint, and its handling is the stuff of dreams - though that shouldn't convince you to take it racing on a track without some prior adjustments (such as more powerful and enduring brakes).
But beyond the public's interest in the newcomer, the rest of the automotive industry hasn't remained indifferent either. We've seen two Model 3s flown to Europe where rumors say they might have ended up in BMW's hands for a bit of reverse engineering (which shouldn't surprise anyone considering the company's recent declarative activity in the segment).
Now, another carmaker much closer to Tesla's home can be suspected of doing the exact same thing. A fellow named Mark snapped a few pictures of a Model 3 being driven inside Ford's Campus close to its "Connected Car Innovation Center" and sent them to EV-website electrek.
Like BMW, Ford's EV efforts are more in a development phase, which would make the 3's presence there not the least surprising. However, since we're talking about the "Connected Car Innovation Center" and we also know Ford is working on its own autonomous driving tech, the 3 could serve two purposes. This suspicion is further encouraged by the fact the vehicle's front-facing cameras had been taped over, suggesting the Autopilot might have been put to the test somehow.
Regardless, this is probably great news for Ford fans everywhere who are expecting a decent electric vehicle from their favorite brand. They will still have to wait until at least 2020, but thanks to the possible Model 3 dissection, they might end up with a much better car.
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