Photo: Tesla Inc.
When Elon Musk decided to ignore every unwritten law of the automotive industry regarding the launch of new products and preview the Tesla Model 3 in March 2016 - more than a year ahead of its commercial debut - the public had a few worries.
It wasn't enough to keep 300,000 people from placing reservations for the new EV within the first few weeks, but some concerns were raised. First, it was the trunk opening: not only did Tesla give up on the hatch solution, but it looked as though fitting things larger than a notebook bag through there might be a bit of a hassle.
Elon Musk quickly addressed it and told everyone they could even take their bicycles for a ride in the back of a Model 3 if they so desired. With that out of the way, people's attention switched toward the car's interior. Or, rather, the lack of it.
It's not the Model 3s present at the launch had black windows and were blank on the inside - not at all. In fact, test rides were offered even back then, so their interiors were as real as they come. They were just... very featureless. At least by our current standards.
Since it was early in the development process and Musk repeatedly said that the car was still 'work in progress,' everyone assumed that would change. Not by much, mind you, since the dashboards of the Models S and X aren't exactly cluttered with a myriad of buttons themselves, but still. A heads-up display, in particular, was one of the features a lot of people believed would find its way on the Model 3 even after Musk made it very clear it wouldn't.
Now, though, with the production version out and more images coming in, we can get a better impression of what Elon Musk is trying to do. The Model 3's interior is the equivalent of pushing a kid who can't swim in the pool. The CEO of Tesla could have eased us into the autonomous driving era, but he chose to rip the band-aid in one sudden move. The self-driving cars are coming, and we'd better start flailing our hands and feet, or we'll drown.
The Model 3 cabin feels like a lounge with a steering wheel popping out. The horizontally-oriented screen resembles your living room TV set too much and the flat surfaces, some covered in wood, are very furniture-like. Yes, you will drive the Model 3 yourself, but only for now.
Tesla hasn't been very generous with new pictures of its new EV - another thing it doesn't do like the rest of the manufacturers. However, as it decided to showcase the vehicle's access card and phone app, it simply had to open the tap and let a few more images squeeze out. Not that many, but enough to have us realize - or rather confirm - the direction that Tesla is headed into.
Elon Musk quickly addressed it and told everyone they could even take their bicycles for a ride in the back of a Model 3 if they so desired. With that out of the way, people's attention switched toward the car's interior. Or, rather, the lack of it.
It's not the Model 3s present at the launch had black windows and were blank on the inside - not at all. In fact, test rides were offered even back then, so their interiors were as real as they come. They were just... very featureless. At least by our current standards.
Since it was early in the development process and Musk repeatedly said that the car was still 'work in progress,' everyone assumed that would change. Not by much, mind you, since the dashboards of the Models S and X aren't exactly cluttered with a myriad of buttons themselves, but still. A heads-up display, in particular, was one of the features a lot of people believed would find its way on the Model 3 even after Musk made it very clear it wouldn't.
Now, though, with the production version out and more images coming in, we can get a better impression of what Elon Musk is trying to do. The Model 3's interior is the equivalent of pushing a kid who can't swim in the pool. The CEO of Tesla could have eased us into the autonomous driving era, but he chose to rip the band-aid in one sudden move. The self-driving cars are coming, and we'd better start flailing our hands and feet, or we'll drown.
The Model 3 cabin feels like a lounge with a steering wheel popping out. The horizontally-oriented screen resembles your living room TV set too much and the flat surfaces, some covered in wood, are very furniture-like. Yes, you will drive the Model 3 yourself, but only for now.
Tesla hasn't been very generous with new pictures of its new EV - another thing it doesn't do like the rest of the manufacturers. However, as it decided to showcase the vehicle's access card and phone app, it simply had to open the tap and let a few more images squeeze out. Not that many, but enough to have us realize - or rather confirm - the direction that Tesla is headed into.
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