[ad_1]
Supplied
Is this the next-gen Tesla Model 3? Internet sleuths and Tesla enthusiasts say yes.
New Zealand Tesla enthusiasts sparked up late last month, following news that the first Tesla Cybertruck had arrived in the country – albeit in a testing capacity. Now, fresh imagery from Cardrona shows that the Cybertruck might not have been the only new Tesla to make the journey.
Images shared online show a mysterious camouflaged sedan pictured in the Queenstown snow alongside a raft of other Teslas, with speculation that the vehicle is Tesla’s replacement for the popular Model 3; known internally as ‘Project Highland’.
The images first emerged on the Cybertruck Owners Forum via a user named MarkusNZL, before going viral on social media and being picked up by electric vehicle specialist outlets like InsideEVs.
Supplied
On the right, between the black prototype and the gunmetal Model S in the background, you can peep the back end of the first Cybertruck in the country.
It appears that at least two of these mystery Teslas feature in the images shared online. The Cybertruck reported on in late June also features, its camo-coated rear end spottable around the side of the shed behind the purported Highland pair.
A fleet of Model X and Model S units also appear in the image; the two models having recently been culled from all of Tesla’s right-hand drive markets, including New Zealand.
Tesla may be working on a film showing all the vehicles being tested on snow, similar to the video it posted on its YouTube channel last December (which you can watch below).
Whilst the Tesla Model 3 has inherited numerous software updates since its launch to the market some six years ago, Highland represents the nameplate’s first significant facelift.
It has been reported that Tesla has worked hard to make the forthcoming Model 3 replacement more affordable, while also updating its styling with a new front and rear end fascia pair.
InsideEVs reports that the former point on affordability will be achieved via an internal push at Tesla to reduce the amount of parts in each car, making manufacturing simpler and theoretically making each unit cheaper to produce.
Supplied
This unverified image reportedly showing the next-gen Model 3 without any camouflage first appeared online in April.
Tesla has utilised the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds snow facility in Cardrona for its cold-weather testing for several years. Indeed the first New Zealand sightings of both the Model 3 and Model Y were at the snowy site.
The news follows the publishing of leaked images online three months ago, claiming to show the Model 3 update’s new-look face, punctuated by a simplified grille area and slimmer headlights.
Whilst local Model 3 demand dried up considerably following the introduction of the larger Model Y last year, it remains one of the most popular electric vehicles in the country, with approximately 600 deliveries in the first six months of 2023.
[ad_2]