Behind closed doors, Tesla has been working on an update to one of its most popular models, the Tesla Model 3.
A new report from Bloomberg suggests that the revamped Tesla Model 3 will be longer, sportier and have a new sleeker interior design. This revamped version is known as “Project Highland”.
The goal of the new model is to cut costs in the manufacturing process, like the Gigacastings seen in the Model Y design, along with freshening up the external designs.
Trial production of the revamped Model 3 is about to go into a trial according to this report which it said it received from sources that are familiar with production at Tesla’s GigaShanghai factory.
There have been other reports of Tesla asking its Shanghai factory staff to keep their mobile phones in lockers outside the factory to ensure no photos were taken or potentially leaked to the public at this stage.
An earlier report from Reuters stated that Tesla has been retooling the Shanghai factory to get production of the next generation Model 3.
The new model is expected to go into scaled production in the third quarter of 2023.
The new upgrades are expected to offer slightly more room on the inside while possibly making one of the most efficient EVs even more efficient.
It’s unclear if the new exterior changes will have an impact on the already low drag ration 0.23. If it is lowered due to various exterior design changes, it will travel further on a single charge.
Recent drone footage showed a camouflaged Model 3 being tested at Tesla’s test track in California.
One key point in that video was when the test driver puts the car in reverse without using the gear stalk behind the steering wheel.
That’s very similar to the refreshed Model S and Model X, which sadly won’t be arriving in Australia.
These are some key improvements over the current generation of Australia’s best-selling EV model. The Model 3 locally has sold 8,819 units in 2023 or 19,696 since the beginning of 2022.
In Australia, it’s looking likely that the Tesla Model 3 will be surpassed by the Model Y which sits in the more popular, family-friendly SUV segment.
Production lines in the first phase of the factory could be offline for a few days at the end of the month for adjustments, though those plans could still change, the report said.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.