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Bokonon
Title-customizing Member
I think you're right that, by the time Reveal 3 rolls around, most of us who follow Tesla closely will already be very familiar with the final exterior, based on the rate at which Model 3 spy shots are rolling in already. As Tesla iterates on the release candidates and starts using more production parts (e.g. the conspicuously-missing charge-port reflector), we should assemble a pretty good idea of what the final car will look like, including color, wheel, and potentially other options.
Similarly, though, I think the growing encyclopedia of spy shots will also give us a pretty good idea of what the final interior will look like -- and I am expecting it to look more or less like what we've already seen. Is it possible that Tesla has built some super-secret RC with the "real" (spaceship?) interior hidden inside their testing facilities, and it will never see the light of day until the final reveal? Sure... but I'm not counting on it.
My expectation is that the final reveal (which may also turn out to be one-in-the-same with the "Model 3 Delivery Event", if it ends up happening in July) will focus more on the experiential aspects of owning a Model 3, with an emphasis on software.
Yes, they will give a brief overview of the production exterior, interior, and specs (drivetrains, battery sizes, estimated EPA ranges, 0-60 times), and talk a lot about Autopilot and FSD... but I also think they will cover Model 3's necessarily unique UI for the center screen, and explain (to our satisfaction, or not) how this UI gives us everything we need to: (a) drive the car, (b) let the car drive us, and (c) allow the car to drive others on the Tesla Network. (In other words: why "we won't care" that there's no traditional information console.)
They will also talk about the new delivery centers and streamlined delivery process, including where and when we can watch orientation-type videos in advance of delivery, how we will always be able to access these same videos (and interactive tutorials?) right on the car's center screen, and how Tesla will continue to update this instructional library along with its regular OTA software updates.
At the end, they'll let us know that the Model 3 Configurator is / will soon be open to the public, that reservation-holders will be invited to configure based on reservation time and ownership status... aaaaand that will be it. Elon (and perhaps some lucky Tesla/SpaceX employee/investor/honoree, driving the first production Model 3) will exit stage left.
Subsequently, some of us will flock to TMC to complain about the lack of "spaceship" controls, and how the final car didn't match up with Elon Tweets (x), (y) and (z). Some of us will decide that this car (as it currently exists) truly isn't the one they want, and cancel our reservations... but the rest of us will just cross another day off on our calendars.
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I agree. The recently sighted "release candidate" vehicles may have the production steering wheel in them (Elon has stated that the year old prototypes did not) but we don't yet have clear images of that wheel or understand what controls it will offer.
I think the Model 3 launch event this summer (my speculation is that there will be such an event, not a statement of fact) will fully explain the driver/car interface as well as provide configuration details even though at least two major options -- Dual Motor and Performance -- will not be available in the early production cars. But we will get information on exactly which options will be offered and more specs.
For those who don't know, that photo shows something special that the early Roadster reservation people (the Signature 100 group, I believe) received: physical samples of paint colors and upholstery colors. Pretty cool.
Color samples?
timk225
Active Member
I hope these are the color choices, but knowing Tesla, we need to find out which colors are extra cost. That will narrow my choices considerably.
jelloslug
Active Member
But because of the internet, you will see a Facebook post or a tweet that says that it's a color sample box for the Model 3 in a week or two.
Pretty awesome. I'd never seen those before. First 250 reservation holders received:
The Egg, the Elephant & the Tesla Sports Car - Storyboard
ModelNforNerd
Active Member
It might even turn out that Elon only briefly skims some of that stuff....much like Reveal 1, we learned some valuable info from the engineers doing the test drives. If they end up taking people for rides in the Model 3's again, they may give us a little more insight into specs, etc than Elon will on stage.
Bokonon
Title-customizing Member
Yeah, I think that's a likely scenario if there are test-drives or other post-presentation up-close showings of the car for those in attendance. I wouldn't expect Elon to go into that much detail from the stage -- just statements to the effect of, "We've developed a revolutionary adaptive UI for the center-screen..." in front of some supporting visuals.
Regardless of whether there is a chance to see the final interior up-close at the event, I'd expect that the already/soon-to-be available library of Model 3 ownership videos would provide voracious Teslaficionados with an appropriately appetizing level of detail about the car's interior/software features.
ADDENDUM:
How funny would it be if Elon tweeted out a link to the Model 3 video library, followed by, "Oh, BTW -- this is what I meant by Model 3 Reveal Part 3"?
kingjamez
Member
July for the final reveal, just confirmed by Elon via Twitter.
ModelNforNerd
Active Member
Bokonon
Title-customizing Member
ModelNforNerd
Active Member
Maybe some lucky employee gets to drive #00001 across the stage or something cool like that.
They aren't waiting until then to protect deliveries, they could have the announcement as early as mid May and have little to no effect. Q2 deliveries are determined by orders placed 6 to 8 weeks before the end of June.Just in time to protect end of Q2 deliveries of Model S...
