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Tesla set to refresh the Model 3 with project “Highland”

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The Tesla Model 3 was launched over five years ago in the Summer of 2017. Since then, the car has had slight updates regarding optional extras and model specifications. However, the Model 3 has never featured any significant changes. Until now.

According to Reuters, Project “Highland” aims to upgrade the Model 3 massively. Changes to the exterior and interior are expected as well as improvements to the powertrain. The coming update of the Model 3 is thought to be heavily influenced by the refreshed Model S which launched last year. This means the Model 3’s already spartan interior could become cleaner and even more simplified.

Probably the largest change would be the “Yoke” steering wheel. This isn't great news for those who believe the yoke is far too complex and takes too much time to get used to. Even if the Model 3 retains a traditional circular steering wheel, the removal of buttons and stalks, as was done in the Model S, is likely.

Musk has stated that he wants Tesla to follow a more simplified approach to production. In this day and age, minimalism is key for cars, since it can make a small car feel far larger than it is. Furthermore, this approach also helps Tesla cost-cut and make more profit. In a conference with Baron Funds earlier in the month, he stated that Tesla removed many unneeded parts.

This is a smart approach by Tesla. Build quality could improve slightly and customers will still retain all the features they need since the parts removed are not needed. This overall boosts profit margins for Tesla on one of their most popular models.

Tesla makes $9,500 per car sold according to their company disclosure. This makes Tesla number one for profit margins per vehicle in the world for mass car manufacturers. Hardly any of the marque’s rivals even come close to Tesla when it comes to profitability per car.

The future for Tesla is bright, and the new “Highland” update will keep the Model 3 looking and feeling fresh for years to come, so it can tackle its rivals even harder. Many questions remain including whether or not it will have the 4680 structural battery pack or the large single-piece castings, similar to the new Model Y’s. Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

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"Candy Red Model 3 with the new nose" by jurvetson is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
 
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I like the slimmer profile of the headlights. Don’t like the bumper; it’s too simple. Fog lights are removed and the side ‘vents,’ or whatever they’re called, are gone. Makes sense though, Tesla is going for simplified manufacturing.
yeah... but no fog lights makes this look real cheap. Tesla better be aiming at sub $40k pricing if in fact this is the new refresh...
 
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For those wondering, that picture I posted IS NOT Project Highland. It's a guy that is building a wrecked Model 3 into his own Cyber-Roadster. The image is making the rounds, but the guy doing it is named David Andreyev and his YouTube channel is Cyber Hooligan.
That makes a whole lot more sense because that front end is not something Tesla would produce at this point. It's too radical a departure from the existing styling themes
 
Could live with the ugly bumper if they get to the benchmark of $40-42K for a dual motor car with 300 miles of range. They would of course at that point have no competition whatsoever. They could of course implement the new $1,000 motor without any rare earth metals and one would expect also lfp batteries at that price point. The new motor of course would require some materials Tech breakthroughs around iron nitride which is not the easiest material to work with.
 
For those wondering, that picture I posted IS NOT Project Highland. It's a guy that is building a wrecked Model 3 into his own Cyber-Roadster.
I think you are mistaken.
Incorrect. It is real.
We don’t know, but it’s not the one mentioned above.
Link to a video on his channel showing this car, or it didn’t happen!
https://insideevs.com/news/658017/tesla-cyberroadster-diy-build-video/ has the channel links embedded.
It’s not the same car. His is nowhere near even built. This is the new model 3.
Really unlikely that his car got completed and painted in a month AND didn’t get shown on his channel. Seems more likely to be the upcoming 3.
 
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That makes a whole lot more sense because that front end is not something Tesla would produce at this point. It's too radical a departure from the existing styling themes
I was clearly wrong on that point. Everything that we've seen and heard points to that leaked picture being accurate. It's not maybe the most flattering angle and I think from other angles and perhaps with other paint colors it might look a lot better.
 
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