Leaked Picture of Clad Refreshed Tesla Model 3 Reveals Similar Front Fascia & Headlights to 2nd-Gen Roadster

For a few months now there have been reports claiming that Tesla is working on a refreshed Model 3 under the codename Project Highland. This rumor first appeared on November 2022 when Reuters reported Tesla is readying a refresh to the Model 3.

Reuters said it received the information from 4 individuals with knowledge of Tesla’s plans. Besides revealing Tesla’s internal codename for the Model 3 refresh is project “Highland”, Reuters has also added some details regarding the changes coming to the Model 3.

At the time Reuters stated “One focus of the redesign codenamed "Highland" is to reduce the number of components and complexity in the interior of the Model 3 while focusing on features that Tesla buyers value, including the display, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the revamp has not been announced.”

Reuters hasn’t stated exactly what sorts of changes we can expect to the Model 3 interior besides mentioning that the Model 3 refresh “builds on the revamp of the Model S.”

Most of the changes Tesla made to the refreshed Model S/X interior are to bring them in line with the Model 3 & Y which included changing the center screen from horizontal to vertical and giving the Model S/X air vents similar to their smaller brethren.

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However, one change Tesla has made to the refreshed Model S/X interior which is not found on the Model 3 & Y is the addition of a second screen for rear passengers. And it appears that with this refresh, Tesla is likely looking to add a second screen to the Model 3.

And this speculation, besides Reuters specifically reporting the Model 3 refresh will focus on the display, is further corroborated by earlier findings that the Model 3 and Y AMD media control units have a currently not-in-use connector in the MCU marked as “2nd display.”

Besides the interior, Reuters had also reported with project Highland Tesla is looking to make changes to the powertrain, performance, and exterior of the Model 3. As of now, we don’t have any information regarding the possible changes coming to the powertrain and performance, however, currently, the fact that Tesla is working on exterior changes to the Model 3 is all but confirmed.

This is due to multiple sightings of covered Model 3s Tesla has been testing out in the wild. The covered vehicles were not only spotted near Tesla’s design studio but also had manufacturer plates giving no doubt that they are the property of Tesla.

And today, thanks to an anonymous post on Reddit, we have a new uncovered picture of the refreshed Tesla Model 3. This picture, even though only partially shows the exterior front half of the vehicle, still gives us a glimpse of what the highly anticipated "Project Highland" refresh looks like. The picture shows a Model 3 with a front facia that resembles that of the 2nd generation Tesla Roadster, with a more angular design and a larger lower grille.

PREDICTION: the next generation Tesla Roadster will be built on the @Tesla Model 3 Highland platform. Elon has said the Roadster is the desert. It’s not core to the $TSLA mission. Building it on the #Model3 platform could drastically cut costs. Even if I’m wrong, I love the… https://t.co/QNuJucJgcr pic.twitter.com/fWVuYjp01J— Matthew Donegan-Ryan (@MatthewDR) April 13, 2023

The new picture also shows redesigned headlights which also resemble that of the 2nd generation Roadster. Other smaller changes we can see are subtle changes to the side repeater camera and a vague outline hinting at possible changes to the dash of the vehicle.

This is all the information we are able to glean from this one picture but, something to keep in mind is that changes to the Model 3 interior, powertrain, performance, and exterior are certainly exciting, however, with project highland, Tesla’s main focus for the Model 3 refresh seems to be cutting the production cost of the all-electric sedan by reducing components and complexity of the vehicle.

Model 3 about to look a lot more like the S/X! Heres a good side-by-side shot of current design and new design. Completely new headlight & front bumper design. But what about the rear? https://t.co/O8cEzKweoS pic.twitter.com/Zqxzh7MWGJ— Erik in DÆrik (@teslainventory) April 13, 2023

According to Reuters’ earlier report “Musk has pushed a simplified approach to design and production at Tesla that the Highland project extends, said the people with knowledge of the development.”

Currently, Tesla uses 6000-ton Giga Presses to build the front and rear chassis of the Model Y as single pieces. Using the Giga Press has allowed Tesla to decrease the parts that make up the rear body of the Model Y from 120 to 1.

This enables Tesla to eliminate several welding robots from the production line, decrease the footprint of the factory, and decrease manufacturing time, complexity, and assembly errors.

Having a single-piece rear body as opposed to 120 also makes the Mode Y lighter, stiffer, and simply an overall better product but at a cheaper price.

Given all these advantages it seems likely that the main focus of project Highland is to bring giga castings to the Model 3. This should improve the range and performance of the Model 3 while at the same time decreasing the price.

The promise of project Highland is certainly exciting, up to now, this is all the information we have on the Model 3 refresh, however, we will be sure to keep you posted when we learn more about Tesla’s future plans.

Until then make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.

So what do you think? Do you like the new redesigned Model 3 front facia? What other changes do you like to see on the Model 3? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Taken From A Post On r/teslamotors on Reddit

For more information check out: Tesla Model Y Becomes The Highest-Produced Vehicle In The Whole Of China

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.