2024 Tesla Model 3 (facelift) purportedly seen on test [Update]

Update: ‘Design & Interior’ section updated.

The Tesla Model 3 is over five years old. The world’s best-selling electric sedan received a refresh in October 2020 and is likely to get another nip and tuck in 2023. Twitter user omg_tesla has posted spy pictures of what looks like a test mule of a new 2024 Tesla Model 3. According to a Reuters report dated November 28, 2022, Tesla is developing a new Model 3 codenamed ‘Highland,’ and that’s probably the model seen in these photographs.

Design & Interior

What’s going on here? @klwtts @WholeMarsBlog @teslaownersSV pic.twitter.com/uFpxcsVh4D

— omg_Tesla/Rivian (@omg_tesla) December 3, 2022

In the purported 2024 Model 3 test mule, the front and rear sections have been covered, indicating most of the changes will be made there. New bumpers, updated light clusters, and revised driver assistance sensors may be included in the once-again-updated Model 3. It’s possible the tiny circle on the upper edge of the headlamps is a camera module, but we’ll have to wait and see. Tesla has reduced its reliance on sensors and is increasingly relying on data from cameras aided by AI for driver assistance functions, a move many have criticized.

On January 16, 2023, Reddit user u/the_frog_said uploaded a photo of a smartly-camouflaged Model 3 with California license plates. Like in the earlier spy shots, this test mule also has its front and back sections blanketed in disguise.

Not to take away from the Cybertruck sighting but… #ProjectHighland #Model3 @Tesla @ElonMusk pic.twitter.com/KWu2pqtpfy

— The Kilowatts 🚗⚡️ (@klwtts) February 3, 2023

On February 2, 2023, Twitter user The Kilowatts shared spy shots showing the new Model 3 from other angles. As it turns out, the tail lights look the same as the ones on the current vehicle. In addition, the layout of the elements at the front hasn’t changed. There’s a closed panel with a smooth surface instead of a grille like on a gasoline car on the top, and a slim air intake at the bottom. We still haven’t gotten a proper look at the headlamps to know if their design has any tweaks, but we are expecting minor revisions.

As for the interior, the Model 3 could download some goodies from the Model S. If a deep update is planned, Tesla could redesign the car’s dashboard, install a new instrument cluster, a steering yoke, and a new, rotating touchscreen infotainment system, and improve the quality of materials.

Specifications

There’s no word on the technical updates in the 2024 Tesla Model 3 except for Reuters claiming that some powertrain changes are in order. The current Model 3 comes in three variants in the U.S.: Standard Range RWD, Long Range AWD, and Performance AWD. These have a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.8 seconds, 4.2 seconds, and 3.1 seconds, and can attain a top speed of 140 mph, 145 mph, and 162 mph, respectively. Their EPA-est. range is 267 – 272 miles, 334 – 358 miles, and 315 miles, respectively.

Tesla could be targeting a maximum EPA-est. range of 375 miles in the 2024 Model 3 Long Range AWD variant. The company has put new orders for the Model 3 Long Range AWD on pause, saying it will reopen the books in 2023.

Release Date

2024 Tesla Model 3 deliveries in the U.S. may begin this summer. According to the Reuters report, the 2024 Tesla Model 3 will enter production at Gigafactory Shanghai in Q3 2023 (July-September 2023). We expect the Fremont Factory to begin manufacturing the future Model 3 around the same time.

Tesla is preparing for the new Model 3 production at the Fremont factory with the codename ‘Project Highland’ since mid-2021, Teslarati reported on January 29, 2023. The company has knocked down the outgoing Model 3’s assembly line, internally called ‘Hang On Lines,’ and is going ahead with the installation of manufacturing equipment for the new Model 3. While production preparations go on at the American plant, testing is still underway, with prototypes spotted on Californian streets in January 2023.

TopElectricSUV says

The Tesla Model 3 is already the best electric car in its segment, and with a refresh, it should get more appealing, and ward off new competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the VW ID.7 sedan that are trying to eat its lunch. Featuring a sharper design, new electronics, improved quality, and an enhanced powertrain, the refreshed Model 3 could be a slightly more upmarket product and maybe even more efficient.

2024 Tesla Model 3 FAQs

Featured image: Tesla