Model 3 Mule Sightings

[22522]

What has changed is where the rear fender joins the light cluster under the "charge port". In the concept, there is a smooth line all the way up, through the light cluster, to the hinge. In this latest mule, the line is broken under the "charge port".

Yeah, I think defining the bottom edge of the charge port door argued with the 1/4 panel/bumper seam. And it also made that seam too visually heavy. The way it is now is softer, better, especially if you are going to have a charge port door.

It might be that they put an optional European standard charger port on that side.

 

[anonim1979]

Thankfully there would be no need for one in the Europe - standard Mennekes would only need space/connection for CCS DC pins.

Should fit?

I think in the US there could be an extra CCS port on the other side to the Tesla's one. As there is no way to integrate both in one place.
Bonus: Tesla to SAE J1772 charging adapter needed no more.

 

[flamingoezz]

This must have been taken by a tesla employee -- you are literally 2 feet from a model 3 with the window down and decide to take a photo of the side/back?!$@#

Sorry, didn't realise it was such an ugly link. Appears on /r/teslamotors...

View attachment 226612

 

[plankeye]

Finally, there is a picture of a red one.
Nice.

I'm still waiting for silver!!!!! I just hope it's the same paint as the prototype had.

 

[cizUK]

What has changed is where the rear fender joins the light cluster under the "charge port". In the concept, there is a smooth line all the way up, through the light cluster, to the hinge. In this latest mule, the line is broken under the "charge port".

Nope
It's always aligned with the crease in the light

Edit: I'm doubting myself now - have I got your comment right?

 

[Ultim8Fury]

Also it's clearly just been dropped of by the truck in front of it. (no dust on the tyre treads, no one in the drivers seat)

 

[JeffK]

Nope
It's always aligned with the crease in the light

Edit: I'm doubting myself now - have I got your comment right?
View attachment 226620 View attachment 226623

check the picture of the red one again.... the alignment is different. The line above the light is aligned with the line below the light in the prototypes and it's not in the new pic of the red car.

It could just be an illusion, but it does look different.

 

[cizUK]

check the picture of the red one again.... the alignment is different. The line above the light is aligned with the line below the light in the prototypes and it's not in the new pic of the red car.

It could just be an illusion, but it does look different.

Can you do an illustration to make it clearer?

 

[MarkeR2002]

The new rear quarter camera makes another appearance!

Also, my OCD just noticed that the top edge of the trunk lid does not aline with the chrome but with the inner edge of the glass. Argh!

You're just NOW noticing this... man, it's been bothering me since the Motor Trend Photo Shoot!

 

[dsvick]

Also it's clearly just been dropped of by the truck in front of it. (no dust on the tyre treads, no one in the drivers seat)

Agreed. I wonder why they do that though. Are there that many people camped outside the factory that they want to avoid? Do they just want to test it somewhere without having people following them all over?

 

[RichardL]

Looks like it's being unloaded at the Palo Alto HQ. they often seem to do it on the road out front - apparently no staging area around the back. I drove by earlier in the week and they were unloading an X for 'sleep testing'

 

[Keith909man]

Sorry, didn't realise it was such an ugly link. Appears on /r/teslamotors...

View attachment 226612

I like it but, I'm a little disappointed it doesn't match the redish orange color we saw at the reveal. Now I'm 2nd guessing my color choice

 

[Twiglett]

Why do people keep calling these mules?
Any reason to think they aren't actually the release candidates that Tesla say they are?

 

[Zaphod]

I like it but, I'm a little disappointed it doesn't match the redish orange color we saw at the reveal. Now I'm 2nd guessing my color choice

Unfortunately I highly doubt there will be any different colors for the 3 that are not already on the S or X. I'm sure this red is the same multicoat red already available.

 

[T34ME]

The new rear quarter camera makes another appearance!

Also, my OCD just noticed that the top edge of the trunk lid does not aline with the chrome but with the inner edge of the glass. Argh!

I see what you are saying and totally agree. Lack of attention to design detail. I also don't like that the break line on the charging port (or whatever it is) does not line up with the rear fascia seam below it. Lack of attention to design detail.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

Why do people keep calling these mules?
Any reason to think they aren't actually the release candidates that Tesla say they are?

I think it's just semantics with most folks. People are using the terms interchangeably I think.

Dan

 

[Zaphod]

The car looks great in red!

This one has a softer split five spoke wheel - so we are seeing some trim level differentiation.
It also has a C-pillar sensor. I wonder which way it is pointing, and if redundant sensors pointing forward at the same angle require less cpu time to make sense of. In other words, does it point forward just like the one on the B-pillar and is it computationally very easy to get useful function from it. For example, do not change lanes into a truck.

Or maybe it just points the way it has to, and gets treated individually. The rear facing side camera is low. This is high.

Maybe it is for people getting into and out of the back seat when the car is a taxi, if people want to keep riders out of the front seat?

Personal space up front and public space in the back.

I don't believe that is a sensor. I think it is just a sticker of some sort. Even when this first appeared on the black car, I believe it was never a sensor.

Regarding the wheels, those are the same as we have seen many times before on the silver car at the reveal. They just don't have the center cap part installed.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I like it but, I'm a little disappointed it doesn't match the redish orange color we saw at the reveal. Now I'm 2nd guessing my color choice

You could always wrap it. I am.

Then you can have any color under the sun.

 

[J1mbo]

Nope
It's always aligned with the crease in the light

Edit: I'm doubting myself now - have I got your comment right?
View attachment 226620 View attachment 226623

In this image it looks like the fender join line is on the side of the car, and crosses behind the red light lens into the trunk lid join line:

But in this photo, the fender join line is on the rear of the car, aligning with the edge of the flat face of the red lens:

 

[Foxhound199]

I like it but, I'm a little disappointed it doesn't match the redish orange color we saw at the reveal. Now I'm 2nd guessing my color choice

I actually like it a lot better. Then again, maybe the orange color was just from the lighting? I don't want to start another version of the "did they or didn't they?" nose controversy.