Everything seems to indicate that the redesign (restyling) of the Tesla Model 3 is about to be announced, with manufacturing starting at Giga Shanghai in early June 2023. This according to a report published by Bloombergciting people involved in the company and the new production line.
To maintain some level of secrecy regarding details of the design changes to the new Model 3, known as Project Highland, Tesla requires employees to leave their cell phones outside the factory. According to the report, the vehicle’s production line will go on hiatus at the end of May to accommodate the changes.
Introduced in 2016, with a full-scale production start in 2017, the Model 3 was the vehicle that catapulted Tesla’s sales and made it one of the most important automakers in the world. Before its launch, the company focused on building high-end vehicles priced above $100,000, with weekly productions of fewer than 100 cars.
Instead, after the launch of the Tesla Model 3, weekly production increased to over 5,000 cars per week. The company’s assembly pace increased as more factories opened: Giga Shanghai, Giga Austin, and Giga Berlin. In addition to the start of manufacturing of the Model Y.
Today Tesla is the company that produces the largest number of electric cars in the world. But the competition has increased, especially in the last two years, and it seems that it is time for a restyling for the Model 3.
All confirmed changes to the Tesla Model 3 Project Highland
No details have been announced, but some of the changes that the Model 3 will have and, consequently, the Model Y with its restyling. The first thing is a redesign in the front headlights. The side cameras will also change position slightly.
According to Bloomberg the measurements of the vehicle will also have a slight change, becoming a little longer. The goal would be to give it a somewhat sportier look, in order to be more competitive.
Some details of the vehicle interior. It is expected to have a redesigned steering wheel, similar to the round one on the Model S/X, and some changes to the dashboard. But the biggest change, apparently, will be the complete absence of levers.
The levers will be replaced by buttons on the steering wheel. The gear change will be done on screen, like the new Model S and Model X.
The Tesla Model 3 design change would also come with improvements in the vehicle’s manufacturing process. It will move closer to the Model Y method, using larger parts that will require fewer parts, and possibly the possibility of including structural batteries.
There is no information on price changes on the vehicle once the redesign is introduced. But Tesla has made two major downgrades this year. One at the beginning of January and another at the beginning of April.