First 2021 Tesla Model 3 with design refresh lands in Australia

The first “refreshed” 2021 Tesla Model 3 has landed in Australia, marking the start of another influx of the Californian car maker’s popular electric sedan.

The 2021 Tesla Model 3 features a slew of upgrades including a heat pump that helps to increase the vehicle’s efficiency and range.

It also has new headlights, black door handles, extra USB charging ports, new sleeker finishes in the interior and – for Performance and Long Range variants – new wheel alloys and tyres.

The first one of these was delivered today, to a Brisbane resident who ordered a Long Range variant.”It’s my first EV, and it’s different, better,” new Tesla owner Daniel Donner told The Driven.

“Love the whole concept of of how Tesla approaches it. All seems to work fine, and no sign of any quality issues,” he said.

It was confirmed as the first to be delivered by shipping tracker VedaPrime, who tells The Driven that there are some 800 Tesla vehicles waiting to go through compliance processes at Australian ports.

Word is that delays that were first reported by The Driven in November have been compounded by new compliance regulations for NSW and the ACT, while Victorian delivery delays are something of a mystery.

Federal compliance for the 2021 Tesla Model 3 was only approved on Friday, and it was added to the government’s Green Vehicle Guide on Monday, which will mean Transport NSW can now update their systems.

Queensland is the only state currently able to deliver, he says.

But true to Tesla form, it will be pushing for to deliver all 800 vehicles as soon as it can in order to be able to add them to its 2020 reporting.

A similar push occurred in 2019 after the Tesla Model 3 first landed on Australian shores, and as Tesla put its collective shoulder to the grindstone to deliver thousands of vehicles before the end of the third quarter – including roping in Tesla chair and Australian Robyn Denholm.