Last week, Teslaās Cybertruck with a massive frunk opening was spotted during winter testing in New Zealand.Ā Now it appears that there may also be the new upgraded Tesla Model 3s being tested as part of the winter testing fleet.Ā
Two photos were shared from the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG) in the South Island of New Zealand by Tesla enthusiast, CybertruckNZ on Twitter.
Now the whole S3XY Tesla Family has gathered at the SHPG in Cardrona/New Zealand! Maybe to shot a new winter video soon, similar to the one last winter? https://t.co/PTBcai84qz
Also, is there possibly a Tesla Model 3 Highland hidden under the black covers?
The camouflaged CT isā¦ pic.twitter.com/ffknRPOFwo— CybertruckNZ (@CybertruckNZ) July 3, 2023
The latest sighting shows three black Tesla Model 3 vehicles with covered rear trunks and two of the front bumpers covered with a black protector.
Two other interesting observations were also noted with these vehicles. First of which is the slightly updated wheel design on one of the vehicles.Ā
Other vehicle in the centre of the shot shows more vertical tail lights which have also been spotted on recent Model 3 test vehicles in California.
New headlights and HW 4 cameras confirmed! pic.twitter.com/NLPkfVpDBl
— The Kilowatts šā”ļø (@klwtts) June 6, 2023
On top of the three Tesla Model 3s, the rear of the same Cybertruck in the camouflage from last week is also seen. This time, the Cybertruck is out in the open and not being prepared in the container.
Getting back to the new Tesla Model 3, it is now reported to have a larger battery pack with more range for the Shanghai-built vehicles. Mass production of the vehicle has also been noted by sources to be around September.
Other details previously noted are the removal of stalks from the steering wheel for gear selection and moving to an all-screen experience as found in the refreshed Model S and Model X vehicles in the US.
This was first spotted in a test vehicle at Teslaās testing facility in Fremont California when the tester was seen to swipe down on the screen just as the car was about to reverse.
One other expected update is to the Autopilot cameras with much higher resolution and a new Autopilot computer. These features are all that Tesla calls, Hardware 4 (HW4) upgrade. This was first spotted on Tesla Model S & Model X vehicles earlier this year.
Since then, Tesla has also started delivering Model Y vehicles with HW4 and it’s likely to be included in the new refreshed Tesla Model 3 vehicles too.
All these updates and winter testing make it an exciting time to see what Tesla has in store for existing and new customers in the coming months.
RizĀ 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.