Photo: @klwtts via Twitter | Edited
Tesla is expected to announce the start of the refreshed Model 3 production any time now. The prototypes disappearing from public roads seemed to support this theory. Still, a new Project Highland prototype was spotted recently, and it sported many modifications expected on the refreshed model.
After Tesla refreshed Model S and Model X this year, the Model 3 became the oldest in the lineup. Tesla is known for its "rolling release" approach to car manufacturing, constantly adding improvements and modifications throughout the production cycle. Many such changes landed in Model Y, as it adopted megacastings and a structural battery, new brakes, and even a much-improved suspension. The Model 3, on the other hand, has seen none of these modifications and is long overdue for a refresh.
This shouldn't be too far away, though, as Tesla has been testing refreshed prototypes for quite some time. Although all wore the same black cladding front and rear, not all revealed the same modifications. It took a long time to see things changing on the refreshed Model 3 body, which still looked like the original model. Then the first picture leaked, revealing the front of the car, and all the changes spotted on camouflaged prototypes started to make sense.
Rumor had it that Tesla would start Project Highland production on June 1 at Giga Shanghai, and expectations were high for Elon Musk to announce that on his visit to China. These rumors appeared to be supported by the disappearance of the testing prototypes from the public roads in the past weeks. This made people believe that the Project Highland development was complete and no more testing was needed.
The new prototype was fitted with the production headlights and taillights, which is a first. The headlights match those on the leaked picture, while the taillights are markedly different from those on the current Model 3 and previous prototypes. More specifically, the turn signal is now vertical instead of horizontal, matching the renderings made by @alinart and @CYBRTRK420. The pictures also reveal a new rear diffuser, similar to those on the Model S, Model X, and Model Y.
The prototype sports the new camera repeater housings with flares protruding into the front door. A lucky shot reveals a reddish tint, characteristic of the Hardware 4 cameras. The tint is caused by a chemical used for lens treatment and is not present in HW3 cameras. The Hardware 4 Autopilot computer and sensors are expected to be the highlight of the updated model. They have already been introduced to the Model Y, so the Model 3 is the last to adopt the new hardware.
This shouldn't be too far away, though, as Tesla has been testing refreshed prototypes for quite some time. Although all wore the same black cladding front and rear, not all revealed the same modifications. It took a long time to see things changing on the refreshed Model 3 body, which still looked like the original model. Then the first picture leaked, revealing the front of the car, and all the changes spotted on camouflaged prototypes started to make sense.
Rumor had it that Tesla would start Project Highland production on June 1 at Giga Shanghai, and expectations were high for Elon Musk to announce that on his visit to China. These rumors appeared to be supported by the disappearance of the testing prototypes from the public roads in the past weeks. This made people believe that the Project Highland development was complete and no more testing was needed.
New Project Highland prototype: Production lights, HW4 cameras, and a new diffuser
Yet, a new camouflaged Model 3 was spotted in California, which indicates that maybe, Project Highland testing is still not done or Tesla felt the need to test something new before production. Or, perhaps, one Tesla employee just went to the supermarket, and that was the only available car. Whatever the reason, the car still offered new clues about the refreshed model than those snapped before.The new prototype was fitted with the production headlights and taillights, which is a first. The headlights match those on the leaked picture, while the taillights are markedly different from those on the current Model 3 and previous prototypes. More specifically, the turn signal is now vertical instead of horizontal, matching the renderings made by @alinart and @CYBRTRK420. The pictures also reveal a new rear diffuser, similar to those on the Model S, Model X, and Model Y.
The prototype sports the new camera repeater housings with flares protruding into the front door. A lucky shot reveals a reddish tint, characteristic of the Hardware 4 cameras. The tint is caused by a chemical used for lens treatment and is not present in HW3 cameras. The Hardware 4 Autopilot computer and sensors are expected to be the highlight of the updated model. They have already been introduced to the Model Y, so the Model 3 is the last to adopt the new hardware.
New headlights and HW 4 cameras confirmed! pic.twitter.com/NLPkfVpDBl
— The Kilowatts ?????? (@klwtts) June 6, 2023
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