Photo: @lovemesomemusk via X
Tesla unveiled the refreshed Model 3 on September 1 in Europe and China, but it's yet to make a similar move in North America. The moment is near, though, as a red Model 3 Highland was caught cruising in California with no camo. Tesla is also preparing to clear Model 3 inventory with more price cuts for the original model.
Plans to overhaul the Model 3 were known for a long time, and we covered them extensively for the past year. Regardless, Tesla surprised everyone when it unveiled the revamped model on September 1. The modifications the refreshed model brought to the table, from the new design to technologies and even safety features, go much deeper than anyone thought. This is a more significant overhaul than the Model S/X refresh earlier this year.
The revamped Model 3 production began at Giga Shanghai last month, which explains why it launched in Europe and a couple of other markets supplied from the Chinese gigafactory. Surprisingly, the Model 3 has not officially appeared in China, as Tesla only recently filed for homologation with local authorities. Information indicates that deliveries will start in October, consistent with the European timeline.
Although the US production has been kept under the radar, I expect the sales of the refreshed model in North America to start about the same time. This implies that the production lines at Fremont have already begun series production of the Model 3 Highland. Although we haven't got visual clues like the drone footage from Giga Shanghai, a recent sighting shows that the refreshed Model 3 is ready for prime time in North America.
A lucky Tesla fan caught a Model 3 cruising undisguised on a road near SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The very brief video attached below was extracted from the car's Dashcam. Although the colors are a bit washed (typical for HW3 Teslas), we can confidently say this is a red Model 3. The video is too blurry to tell whether this is a production vehicle or just an earlier prototype with the camouflage removed.
Whatever the case, the launch of the Model 3 Highland in the US appears imminent. This is confirmed by another price cut applied to inventory Model 3 in the US. At the time of writing, the current generation Model 3 RWD can be bought for as low as $36,220 from inventory, and that is before incentives. This makes the veteran Model 3 a compelling proposition, especially after deducting all the federal and local incentives from the price.
The move is similar to how Tesla lowered inventory prices in Europe and China before accepting orders for the refreshed Model 3. The OG Model 3 becomes more affordable than many ICE compact cars when factoring in all the incentives offered in various US states. This will undoubtedly move some metal for Tesla, adding to the third-quarter results. Tesla needs all the help it can get, considering that Giga Shanghai and Fremont have seen production pauses to overhaul the production lines.
The revamped Model 3 production began at Giga Shanghai last month, which explains why it launched in Europe and a couple of other markets supplied from the Chinese gigafactory. Surprisingly, the Model 3 has not officially appeared in China, as Tesla only recently filed for homologation with local authorities. Information indicates that deliveries will start in October, consistent with the European timeline.
Although the US production has been kept under the radar, I expect the sales of the refreshed model in North America to start about the same time. This implies that the production lines at Fremont have already begun series production of the Model 3 Highland. Although we haven't got visual clues like the drone footage from Giga Shanghai, a recent sighting shows that the refreshed Model 3 is ready for prime time in North America.
A lucky Tesla fan caught a Model 3 cruising undisguised on a road near SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The very brief video attached below was extracted from the car's Dashcam. Although the colors are a bit washed (typical for HW3 Teslas), we can confidently say this is a red Model 3. The video is too blurry to tell whether this is a production vehicle or just an earlier prototype with the camouflage removed.
Whatever the case, the launch of the Model 3 Highland in the US appears imminent. This is confirmed by another price cut applied to inventory Model 3 in the US. At the time of writing, the current generation Model 3 RWD can be bought for as low as $36,220 from inventory, and that is before incentives. This makes the veteran Model 3 a compelling proposition, especially after deducting all the federal and local incentives from the price.
The move is similar to how Tesla lowered inventory prices in Europe and China before accepting orders for the refreshed Model 3. The OG Model 3 becomes more affordable than many ICE compact cars when factoring in all the incentives offered in various US states. This will undoubtedly move some metal for Tesla, adding to the third-quarter results. Tesla needs all the help it can get, considering that Giga Shanghai and Fremont have seen production pauses to overhaul the production lines.
Highland Model 3 spotted near SpaceX today! pic.twitter.com/Di15odyW7M
— danielle x (@lovemesomemusk) September 13, 2023
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