Reuters: "Tesla readies revamped Model 3 with project 'Highland' -sources" [projected 3rd quarter 2023]

[WilliamG]

Highland, if it comes to the USA as-is, adds new bumper brake and tail lights because that's the law; lights visible even if trunk open. So that savings is false, I believe the real reason outside of styling is that it's harder to misalign 1 lamp per side vs two.

Whatever, not having stalks is pretty close to a deal breaker for me - can anyone here say they have had a failure there? Probs not. But worse is no fog lights; half my weather here in marine fog.

Reduction in parts saves $ is the real reason but a lot of that is rationalizing; people would pay for fog lights etc if allowed

Yep. I believe the reason for the one-piece tail light is alignment related. 2.5 years later and Tesla still can’t align the tail lights on their flagship Model S, for example. If you remove time and effort aligning the trunk with the outer tail light assembly, that's money saved.

 

[terranx]

Yep. I believe the reason for the one-piece tail light is alignment related. 2.5 years later and Tesla still can’t align the tail lights on their flagship Model S, for example. If you remove time and effort aligning the trunk with the outer tail light assembly, that's money saved.

It also simplifies their wiring harness a bit. The entire lamp assembly can be routed with the trunk harness, instead of needing separate harnesses running to each taillight.

 

[WilliamG]

It also simplifies their wiring harness a bit. The entire lamp assembly can be routed with the trunk harness, instead of needing separate harnesses running to each taillight.

Good call. Hadn’t even thought about that. All of these things = money savings.

 

[dfwatt]

Europe is at 12% EV penetration right now, no way it’s getting to 50% by 2026. You write a lot but it’s not factual.

New registrations of electric vehicles in Europe

You make a lot of claims that are not factual. You need to do your research. Please look up sigmoid curve of adoption of disruptive technology. Please see here. World EV Sales Now Equal 18% Of World Auto Sales - CleanTechnica).

Part of the problem is you're assuming that where things are in the United States and Europe is an accurate index of the world. It's not. China is the largest car market and it is racing to electrification faster than anybody else. That's pulling the global average up. And the United States is way behind both Europe and China so if you're going on US statistics you're again being misled. Please please get educated!

 

[terranx]

You make a lot of claims that are not factual. Sales were at ~14% in 2022 world wide. Not the 12% you're claiming for this year. You need to do your research. Please look up sigmoid curve of adoption of disruptive technology. Please see here.

I know you want to pump up the stock, but this is straight up delusional

 

[jeremymc7]

Plenty of the major chains rent Teslas by the day, week or month these days. Let alone places like Turo where you can rent from an owner.

Lots of try options out there.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

The extra inch is 100% bumper covers. Looks like interior hardpoints didn't move.

this

 

[dfwatt]

I know you want to pump up the stock, but this is straight up delusional

I guess the folks at Clean Technica must be in need of more Haldol.

World EV Sales Now 19% Of World Auto Sales! - CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News! Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 38% in June 2023 compared to June 2022, rising to 1,260,00 units. In the end, plugins represented 19% share of the overall auto market (13% BEV share alone). ...

cleantechnica.com

 

[jjrandorin]

Note that if the personal attacks continue, I will take further action(s) other than the ones I have already taken. Debate = yes, personal attack = no.

 

[smogne41]

You make a lot of claims that are not factual. You need to do your research. Please look up sigmoid curve of adoption of disruptive technology. Please see here. World EV Sales Now Equal 18% Of World Auto Sales - CleanTechnica).

Part of the problem is you're assuming that where things are in the United States and Europe is an accurate index of the world. It's not. China is the largest car market and it is racing to electrification faster than anybody else. That's pulling the global average up. And the United States is way behind both Europe and China so if you're going on US statistics you're again being misled. Please please get educated!

I mean I do think eventually EVs will win, but extrapolating the death of an established product category by another based on early trends does not usually work out. I am old enough to remember all the annalists and tech news sites in the early 2010's confidently predicting that tablets would completely displace laptops/desktops in just a few years by showing sigmoid plots that look EXACTLY like the one you show here. Guess what? They most certainly did not (and never will). Again, I do think EVs will eventually dominate, but I don't believe the transition will go as you show it here necessarily and I ABSOLUTELY don't think Tesla will be the only dominant auto maker in 2030.

 

[Msjulie]

I get the dislike of lack of stalks. I don't like the idea either so again it's not that I'm not sympathetic it's simply that you may have to put up with futurism to get the best design in other areas.

I'm not alone in being less than thrilled with the lack of physical controls (youtube is full of people complaining about car makers copying Tesla's onscreen experience) and so the removal of the stalks is a step too far for me. I wish I believed everything about Tesla's was best in class or "best design in other areas" but I no longer feel that way. I get all the justifications for cutting cost but there are usability factors to consider and not everyone falls under the spell of new ooh-ahhh-no-buttons stuff.

As mentioned, as long as my 2018 continues to function well... but when replacement time comes, I no longer just think Tesla anymore

If you actually try out the new features and don't like them, that's one thing. But there are a lot of people here who decide they don't like a change without ever giving it a chance. There are always milllions of people online who criticize things they don't know about...

I've had a 3 since open for order; replaced original RWD with stealth performance as soon as that ordering opened.

I do not like messing around with a screen to change where the air is blowing, or having to fight with crummy automatic wipers. I don't need to lose my PRND stalk to know I prefer it over the screen.

In some ways it's like that whole yoke thing - I personally saw absolutely nothing better about it and found it a worse driving experience.

Thoughtful folks can make decisions for themselves and don't need to justify those with some kind of 'tried it hate it' proof. I won't argue about clickbait on YouTube but this isn't that

 

[Midpack]

Also, how to you propose somebody 'try out' the stalkless design? Just put down $35-60k and hope for the best? All the fanbois say you have to give it a few weeks to get used to it, then you will 'love' it. Sorry, in no universe are most people going to do that if they have any strong aversion to it already. The only people who will already know their brain will convince them they like it, even if it objectively sucks.

Free demo drive for starters. There are many Model S and X owners who like, even prefer, stalkless - maybe listen to what they have to say?

 

[zoomer0056]

Free demo drive for starters. There are many Model S and X owners who like, even prefer, stalkless - maybe listen to what they have to say?

Stalks matter, or don't matter. It's a personal choice to like or not like, to try or not try. These conversations to convince others are pointless.

 

[terranx]

Free demo drive for starters. There are many Model S and X owners who like, even prefer, stalkless - maybe listen to what they have to say?

There are also many who would prefer stalks, but not enough to not buy altogether. I know that applies to me with my Plaid order.

 

[jjrandorin]

These conversations to convince others are pointless.

I mean, on a personal note, I agree with this statement 1000000000000000000000000000000000%

The rebuttal others would have for people who feel that way is usually something like "Isnt that what forums are for? / "Well why do forums exist then????".

My answer to that is "they used to be to help each other, provide tips, pointers etc, not bicker / argue with others constantly in a need to convince someone about X or Y", but I increasingly feel like I am in a smaller and smaller minority on this topic.

Thats not ment to be a moderator note, just a personal obvservation.

 

[jboy210]

My 2 cents is a lot of these simplifying changes are for adding more automation to the manufacturing process. If they could, Tesla/Elon would prefer a lights-out factory with Tesla Robots running about. And with Megacasts, reducing components that need to be mated, etc., they may get there soon.

 

[gtgarner]

Highland, if it comes to the USA as-is, adds new bumper brake and tail lights because that's the law; lights visible even if trunk open. So that savings is false, I believe the real reason outside of styling is that it's harder to misalign 1 lamp per side vs two.

Whatever, not having stalks is pretty close to a deal breaker for me - can anyone here say they have had a failure there? Probs not. But worse is no fog lights; half my weather here in marine fog.

Reduction in parts saves $ is the real reason but a lot of that is rationalizing; people would pay for fog lights etc if allowed

You obviously didn't read all of my posts.

I stated Highland facts and you disagreed with them. For example, Highland has no fog lights in the front bumper. I don't like that. However Tesla will save money not putting fog lights on the front bumper. What is the problem?

This is my car below. I love my fog lights.

Reuters: "Tesla readies revamped Model 3 with project 'Highland' -sources" [projected 3rd quarter 2023]

Finally the 3 is starting to look good. As happy as I was for getting away from Tesla a few years ago... now I keep finding myself on these forums more and more often... 🤨

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[stopcrazypp]

You obviously didn't read all of my posts.

I stated Highland facts and you disagreed with them. For example, Highland has no fog lights in the front bumper. I don't like that. However Tesla will save money not putting fog lights on the front bumper. What is the problem?

This is my car below. I love my fog lights.

Reuters: "Tesla readies revamped Model 3 with project 'Highland' -sources" [projected 3rd quarter 2023]

Finally the 3 is starting to look good. As happy as I was for getting away from Tesla a few years ago... now I keep finding myself on these forums more and more often... 🤨

teslamotorsclub.com

His point is about the rear lights. If in the US they may need to install another set of secondary lights for when the trunk is open, then there are still 4 parts.

BMW iX for example has a second set of taillights inside to meet US regulations:

However, in Highland it appears they replaced the two bottom reflectors with lights, so that may meet the requirements, although it's not clear if it's mounted high enough.

 

[zoomer0056]

although it's not clear if it's mounted high enough.

Tesla had to have looked at that. Would not make $ sense to have a different car for each country.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Tesla had to have looked at that. Would not make $ sense to have a different car for each country.

I would hope so, but all the other examples have the lights at the top of the bumper line (including the Bolt and the Audi Q series examples), none as low as the Model 3 (which rides lower in the first place, which makes things even worse).

From a search, it appears the federal height requirement seems to be 15 inches minimum:

Table I–A—Required Lamps and Reflective Devices
...

Taillamps	2 Red	On the rear, at the same height, symmetrically about the vertical centerline, as far apart as practicable	Not less than 15 inches, nor more than 72 inches

49 CFR § 571.108 - Standard No. 108; Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.

There are some states that say 20 inches minimum though:

10.16.070: TAIL LAMPS; REQUIRED, MOUNTED HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY:
...
B. Every tail lamp upon every vehicle shall be located at a height of not more than seventy two inches (72") nor less than twenty inches (20").

10.16.070: TAIL LAMPS; REQUIRED, MOUNTED HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY:

I don't have access to my car right now, but from a straight on rear picture online, the rear reflectors of the old model appear to be right under 15 inches and would appear to not meet the requirements (assuming there is no secondary exception). Although probably best to measure them on the actual car and not an online picture which may not be accurate.