Unveiling on Oct 17th

[outie]

Disagree. We love the doors, they work great, and I'd even consider them practical. Gadgets are a bonus. It's expensive but it all depends on how people like to spend their money. Big screen is great. All love the big windshield. That's why we bought the car. You may have based your conclusions on too small a sample. One persons junk is another's treasure. Too each his/her own I guess.

They can buy whatever that suits their needs. The X is definitely not for everybody, but there are plenty of people who like it. There are plenty of hard buttons on the car - FWD, trunk, doors, lights all have hard buttons access. I almost feel the comments they made are without merit.

 

[3PHASE]

AP2 and 100D are not unexpected, so it can't be those. Plus I checked Twitter and the only time Elon uses 'unveil' in a tweet is when he's showing something new, not an iteration of an existing product/feature.

unveil from:elonmusk - Twitter Search

It's gotta be the Model 3 update because it's unexpected so soon.

I agree, or a woodie version of the X.

 

[Zaphod]

(3) Many women are intimidated by the big 17in screen - at least many that I have talked to. Bring the Model 3's screen to this X2 (looks like a manageable dashboard).

So you are saying size does matter to many women?

 

[3PHASE]

Someone earlier in the thread pointed out the choice of "product unveiling" (vs. "product announcement") in the phrasing of the tweet. Props to that person, sorry I didn't dig up your post and flag it as informative.

• unveiling not announcement (i.e. something already announced or at least teased, but thus far not revealed/unveiled)
• Tesla/SolarCity later, thus it's unlikely to be merger related, or consumer/business energy/power related
• it's not a capital raise or other financial move
• it's not hiring/firing unless they're revealing Tesla Employee 1.0 robots

Long before this tweet I had assumed the Model 3 unveil/reveal #2 would be in 2016 and ideally well before the Thanksgiving holidays so as not collide directly with the holiday activity and the flooded product announcement market for consumer eyeballs. Have it in October, at least a couple weeks before Halloween and the shopping march to Christmas and New Year's. Also, ideally you want all the fanatics to have everything memorized in time to have effective "socializing" of Tesla to friends and family over the holidays.

As such, I think it aligns with my previous expectations, phrasing of the tweet, and some current/popular predictions for it to be the following:
1. 2nd reveal/unveil of Model 3 including: (maybe) slightly updated nose, interior including instrument cluster + center screen
2. show off the new autopilot+autonomous capabilities are currently planned (but hopefully, please Elon!, not promising a date for autonomous yet... just AP improvements)
3. give us a taste of that cockpit/spaceship experience previously teased, probably including HUD

^ Rational guess

V Irrational guess
"Model 3 generation" seats that fold completely flat for napping while in autonomous mode, with adjustable pillow and alarm clock app for the main display.

I agree. Not that the Bolt is in the same league, but wouldn't it make sense to show a more complete Model 3 to get some people to not dump their reservation? If this is the answer, I was not expecting to see the final Model 3 unveiling this soon, although it may not jive with the splash they normally like to do.

 

[RubberToe]

Model Y.

The way SUV's are selling, Tesla would be foolish not to release the Y shortly after the 3. Same sled, and the production line HAS to have been designed to crank both out simultaneously. Y starts production 6 months after 3 is first delivered. Reservations are transferable to the Y. New orders for Y being accepted starting immediately.

150,000 new deposits in the first month.

RT

Thinking about this a bit more, we had the big "pencils down" on the Model 3 back in mid-July:
Tesla Model 3's design will be finished in six weeks, Elon Musk says

So when all the Model 3 designers put down their collective pencils, what do you think they all did?

The plan by Tesla all along was to develop an SUV version of the Model 3 that sits on the same sled. And they are obviously designing the assembly line to be able to manufacture both vehicles. But in order to do that, you have to know to a certain level of confidence what the Model Y is going to look like. The the guys who put their "pencils down" in July likely picked them up pretty quick to "finish the job" and figure out what the Model Y actually is, so that the next task of designing and building the assembly line could start.

You would think they would have already had some designers working on the Y in parallel, so some work would have already been done. Mid-July to now is 3 months. Perhaps long enough to cobble together a prototype vehicle on top of one of their Model 3 sleds in order to unveil the new "product".

RT

 

[Snow Drift]

You would think they would have already had some designers working on the Y in parallel, so some work would have already been done. Mid-July to now is 3 months. Perhaps long enough to cobble together a prototype vehicle on top of one of their Model 3 sleds in order to unveil the new "product".
RT

They did, see the circled car. One half of the clay is tall (Model Y) and the other is short (Model 3).

 

[BluestarE3]

They did, see the circled car. One half of the clay is tall (Model Y) and the other is short (Model 3).

I dunno... to me, the "tall" side looks like a Model X with one wing up and the "short" side is the same Model X with the other wing down. Not some kind of "Janus" clay model, but a prototype Model X with operable doors, under that cover.

 

[p1l0t3]

I dunno... to me, the "tall" side looks like a Model X with one wing up and the "short" side is the same Model X with the other wing down.

I always look at the james bond submarine car in the back eahc time I see this screenshot

 

[p1l0t3]

From all the readings I have made on the subject, nobody has talk about the ability to make Model 3 configurations.It is product related, and so far, unexpected by most

 

[Fiver]

From all the readings I have made on the subject, nobody has talk about the ability to make Model 3 configurations.It is product related, and so far, unexpected by most

I'm pretty sure they would have to do the 2nd reveal before they let you play with the configurator.

 

[BluestarE3]

A different take on what the "unexpected" product could be:
Tesla should consider upgrading its financing arm ahead of Model 3

A financial rather than automotive or energy product.

 

[HankLloydRight]

It would be nice to see a Vehicle-to-Grid accessory ("product")... But at the same time if you want it, you have to give up free supercharging and go to the pay-as-you-go model. Maybe offer a pro-rated refund or partial credit for those existing owners.

I don't think many people would expect this, and it's not something Elon would throw a big party for.

That's my wild speculation.

 

[aesculus]

But at the same time if you want it, you have to give up free supercharging

You mean because you might go to the superchargers and shuttle electrons home?

 

[Snow Drift]

I dunno... to me, the "tall" side looks like a Model X with one wing up and the "short" side is the same Model X with the other wing down. Not some kind of "Janus" clay model, but a prototype Model X with operable doors, under that cover.

It is significantly smaller than the Model X in the same studio. All images are from the 60 Minutes special.

 

[larmor]

Another guess: may be not AP2.0 but the ability to talk to the car: ie upload natural language processing, so that you could ask your car did you see that bicyclist? it might say no, but can now go back and look at the data and identify a cyclist much easier. The same goes for other objects or vehicles cutting in and swerving around your car....

 

[phaduman]

if AP2.0 doesn't get announced soon, more folks will delay ordering their Model S/X this quarter. It is a pressure they have to release.

 

[TEG]

Wireless charging? Daimler has been making noise about that recently... Daimler: First to Go Wireless Charging | EE Times

Does the "unexpected" comment mean it will be something completely out of left field that we have never talked about before?

I suppose Tesla could productize some things it made for themselves. Like if they announced they made a better auto factory welding robot and will sell it to other manufacturers.

Just brainstorming some ideas.

 

[HankLloydRight]

if AP2.0 doesn't get announced soon, more folks will delay ordering their Model S/X this quarter. It is a pressure they have to release.

I think that population of those people is very very small. Huge here for sure but in the big picture, I think very few tesla buyers are on pins and needles waiting for AP 2.0, much less even know or care .

 

[HookBill]

Completely agree, HankLloydRight. We tend to view this forum community as representative of all Tesla owners and as much as we wished it was, it is not. I have talked to so many owners about this forum and it was surprising how many had no clue of it's existence. I have even mentioned it at Tesla stores and many of the Tesla representatives did not know it existed. I have mentioned AP2 to lots of Tesla owners and they needed me to explain it to them as they had no clue of what might be coming. When EM says some do but most don't, he is talking about those who do not participate here.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Completely agree, HankLloydRight. We tend to view this forum community as representative of all Tesla owners and as much as we wished it was, it is not. I have talked to so many owners about this forum and it was surprising how many had no clue of it's existence. I have even mentioned it at Tesla stores and many of the Tesla representatives did not know it existed. I have mentioned AP2 to lots of Tesla owners and they needed me to explain it to them as they had no clue of what might be coming. When EM says some do but most don't, he is talking about those who do not participate here.

So I guess that would make AP2 "unexpected" then? lol