Model 3 Project Highland concept based on a potential leak
Cybrtrk420/Twitter
The anticipation surrounding Tesla's forthcoming Model 3 refresh, known as "Project Highland," has reached fever pitch, and the latest drone footage from the Fremont test track only adds to the excitement. The video reveals a vehicle boasting a steering wheel design similar to the Tesla Semi and the Model S. Perhaps even more intriguing is the absence of traditional stalks, lending credibility to rumors of an innovative shift towards on-screen controls for shifting between park, drive, and reverse modes.
A New Vision for Interior Design
The drone footage (video below) reveals more than just a new steering wheel design. The door trim, intriguingly, appears to be concealed. This design choice suggests that Tesla might be rethinking how the dashboard design integrates with the door, potentially creating a more unified, aesthetically pleasing interior. We previously reported that the wood grain would no longer be available in the latest version.
The video also reveals that "smart shift" is coming to the Model 3 refresh. At the 3-minute, 20-second mark of the video below, you can see a closeup of the driver swiping the display downward to shift the vehicle into reverse. Almost immediately afterward, the vehicle is backing up.
What's not immediately clear, is whether Tesla will add smart shift to current Model 3 and Model Y vehicles as well, or if it will be exclusive to Project Highland and Project Juniper.
Illuminating Changes: Reverse Lights and Trunk Lid
One of the most revealing aspects of the footage was a noticeable change at the vehicle's rear end: the reverse lights now appear lower in the bumper. This change aligns with our previous reports, confirming that Tesla is indeed revisiting the design of these critical safety features.
The plot thickens with rumors of a leaked new trunk lid design that suggests a transformation of the rear lights into a slimmer look. The observed shift in the positioning of the reverse lights lends some credibility to these rumors, although we await official confirmation from Tesla.
The Path Ahead: Production and Expectations
While Tesla China has publicly refuted rumors of starting trial production at Giga Shanghai next month, such denials often occur before significant launches. These recent revelations seem to align with previous reports, suggesting that Tesla might be gearing up for mass production of the Model 3 refresh by Q3.
Driver seen shifting the Model 3 refresh into reverse using smart shift
Caliber197/YouTube
The Model 3 refresh, with its potential groundbreaking design changes and anticipated advanced technology integration, is set to redefine Tesla's standing in the auto industry. As we await further details, these early glimpses paint a picture of a vehicle that blends innovation, aesthetics, and functionality, promising a new chapter in Tesla's legacy of electric vehicle design.
Your Tesla is packed with features designed to improve your comfort and safety, and Cabin Overheat Protection (COP) is a prime example. While all the materials and equipment in your car are built to withstand the summer heat, this feature prevents the interior from reaching excessively high temperatures when parked.
But what does it do, how does it work, and when should you really use it? Let’s dive in.
What is Cabin Overheat Protection?
Cabin Overheat Protection is a climate control feature that activates automatically after you’ve left your vehicle. Its primary goal is to keep the interior cabin temperature from soaring on hot days, and helping to keep the surfaces humans touch most often - like the seats, steering wheel, and screen- at a more manageable temperature.
You can also use Cabin Overheat Protection to protect temperature-sensitive items from excessive temperatures; however, its primary goal is to prevent the cabin from becoming excessively hot.
For moderate durations, Cabin Overheat Protection can actually reduce the amount of energy spent cooling your vehicle, as it’s more efficient to maintain a temperature rather than letting cooling it down from 130ºF. However, it most cases, Cabin Overheat Protection will use additional energy.
It is important to note what Cabin Overheat Protection is not. It isn’t designed to protect people or pets. For that, you’ll want to use Tesla’s dedicated “Dog Mode” or “Keep Climate On” features, which offer more robust control over the internal temperature. You can read a comparison of the major climate features here.
Enable Cabin Overheat Protection
Tesla offers several options for cabin overheat protection, allowing you to choose when and how it operates. You can enable it in your vehicle or through the Tesla app:
In the Vehicle: Navigate to Controls > Safety > Cabin Overheat Protection.
Via the Tesla App: Go to the Climate, swipe up, and toggle Cabin Overheat Protection.
Cabin Overheat Protection Settings
When enabling COP, you can pick from three settings:
Off: The system is completely disabled and will not activate when the vehicle is parked. This is the default option.
No A/C: If the interior temperature exceeds your set threshold (see below), your vehicle will only use the HVAC fan to circulate outside air through the cabin. This helps cool the vehicle since outside air is often cooler than the inside, which can easily reach 130ºF or higher. This is our recommended setting, as it helps prevent the cabin from getting too hot in most situations and uses minimal energy.
On: If the interior temperature exceeds your set threshold, the system will use both the fan and the air conditioning to actively cool the cabin down to and maintain it below that threshold. This is the most effective cooling option, but it also uses a significant amount of energy.
You can also set a Temperature Threshold for activating Cabin Overheat Protection. Tesla provides three options: 90°F (30°C), 95°F (35°C), or 100°F (40°C). Cabin Overheat Protection will attempt to maintain your vehicle at the threshold while it is active.
Battery Drain
The main reason you might choose to leave Cabin Overheat Protection off is its energy impact, which will not only increase your costs but also reduce your vehicle’s range. Ultimately, this feature keeps your vehicle’s HVAC system—or at least its fans—running to help cool the cabin.
While the No A/C mode consumes minimal energy, the On mode (which uses air conditioning) will noticeably drain the battery, particularly on hot days when the system works harder to maintain the set temperature.
The amount of energy COP uses will vary greatly based on your selected activation temperature, the exterior temperature, and whether your vehicle is parked in the sun. However, in general, the energy impact will be minimal if COP is set to No A/C, and significant if it’s set to On.
As a reminder, Cabin Overheat Protection will automatically shut off after 12 hours of operation or if the vehicle’s state of charge falls below 20%. COP and several other Tesla features will increase the cost of using your vehicle. We recently reviewed all Tesla features that continue to use power while your vehicle is parked.
Is Cabin Overheat Protection Necessary?
This is a common question, and the answer is no, Cabin Overheat Protection is not essential. Tesla vehicles, including their interior components, are designed and tested to withstand the typical automotive temperature cycles, including both hot and cold. While keeping the cabin cooler could potentially provide some marginal benefit in preventing the leather or other surfaces from degrading, the primary purpose is for the comfort of the occupants when they return.
What About Extreme Cold?
We’ve talked about heat, but what about extreme cold? Cabin Overheat Protection, as the name implies, deals with heat and will not prevent your vehicle from getting too cold. For cold weather, your Tesla has different mechanisms.
Your vehicle will automatically use energy to keep its high-voltage battery within a safe temperature range in extreme cold, whether or not you’re in the car. This helps protect the battery’s health and ensures you’ll have a minimal level of performance even if you enter the vehicle without preconditioning.
For optimal comfort in cold weather, preconditioning your vehicle will warm up the cabin and battery for improved performance.
Cabin Overheat Protection is a valuable feature that improves the comfort of your Tesla, particularly during hot weather. However, it’s not designed to improve the lifespan of your vehicle's interior, and it should not be used for people or pets (use Keep Climate or Dog Mode for those situations).
If you're parked in extreme heat and have sensitive items in the car, this could be an ideal use case. Use Keep Climate if you need to keep the items below 80°F, or Cabin Overheat Protection if you’re just looking to protect them from excessive temperatures.
Tesla’s recent focus on expanding and vertically integrating its battery production is beginning to take global steps, starting with a battery recycling and service center in South Australia. In Marion, a suburb of Adelaide, the council recently voted in favor of a proposal that would see contaminated public land developed and leased to Tesla.
The move promises local jobs and environmental remediation but has garnered a lot of public debate focused on Elon’s moves outside his role as CEO.
The proposal involves a site that’s currently unusable for recreation due to chemical contamination. A local developer plans to acquire and remediate the land, constructing a new facility specifically for Tesla. This site would reportedly serve two purposes: recycling old lithium-ion batteries and serving as a Tesla Service Center.
Tesla’s Commitment to Recycling
Tesla recently announced its intention to ramp up its battery recycling and repurposing efforts. During the Q1 2025 Earnings Call, Tesla’s executives highlighted substantial progress. Tesla had recycled enough materials in Q1 2025 to build approximately 21,000 Model Y RWD vehicles, representing a 136% year-over-year increase from Q1 2024.
Dedicated regional hubs like this one would be a logical next step in expanding the recycling loop and furthering Tesla’s vertical integration while also reducing its reliance on new materials. In addition, local sources also mentioned that Tesla could be repurposing older lithium-ion batteries for other purposes, including their inclusion in stationary battery storage systems like Powerwall or Megapack.
Of course, the facility also has major benefits for the local community, including creating around 100 local jobs, as well as injecting approximately $56 million into the local economy. Further, developing the contaminated land as a renewable facility is one of the safest ways to use the land that’s been sealed off from the public for nearly a decade.
Elon’s Image
The proposal isn’t without its critics. Local opposition was voiced during community consultations, with most of the negative sentiment directed towards Elon rather than the facility itself. Despite these complaints, the local council elected to proceed, arguing that tangible economic and environmental benefits far outweigh any perceived geopolitical or symbolic harm that shutting down the project could cause.
With the council’s endorsement on record, the proposal now moves to the South Australian state government for approvals regarding the change in land classification.
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