First Glimpse of Tesla's Mythical $25,000 Car? [Video]

CBS airs video with von Holzhausen working on a concept car

CBS

Did we see a mock-up of the Tesla $25,000 car? Buzz surged as the Sunday Morning Show on CBS aired a story on Elon Musk, centering around Walter Isaacson's biography and leveraging the occasion to interview Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla's Chief Designer. Though von Holzhausen kept his cards close to his chest, offering no new insights, the story unveiled a significant potential revelation.

On-screen, viewers caught a glimpse of von Holzhausen in front of what seemed to be a preliminary design for a compact two-seater vehicle, spawning a whirlpool of speculations. The setting further fueled the mystery, with wall-mounted renderings depicting a three-wheel vehicle resembling some Cybertruck details, teasing the possibilities of what might be in store.

Tesla through Isaacson’s lens

According to exclusive excerpts shared with Axios from Isaacson's highly awaited book, the Tesla team is not only toiling away at the elusive $25,000 vehicle but is meticulously considering its integration with the ambitious Robotaxi service. Throughout 2021 and 2022, Elon Musk and his adept team ventured into deep dialogues, navigating through myriad concepts and features aiming to redefine transportation with this groundbreaking vehicle.

The vision fostered was colossal, envisioning a future dominated by autonomous “Robotaxis,” a change so profound it threatens to consign individual car ownership to history’s scrapyard. In this brave new world, personal vehicles give way to readily available Robotaxis, eradicating the necessity for personal garages brimming with unused cars.

Revelations from Isaacson’s forthcoming book

Yet, as Isaacson unfolds in his biography, amidst the grand envisioning of a Robotaxi future, Musk’s team remained grounded, recognizing the present need for affordable electric vehicles, thus breathing life back into the $25,000 car concept. This vehicle seeks to marry affordability with avant-garde technology, aspiring to extend the reach of electric vehicles to a wider swath of society.

Titled "Elon Musk," Isaacson's tome promises a deep dive into the genesis of this revolutionary vehicle, a venture that saw Musk grapple with the dual challenges of adhering to Tesla's renowned quality standards while catering to a broader demographic. It stands as a testimony to Musk's relentless drive to push the frontiers of technology and innovation.

Questions swirl: what form will this $25,000 vehicle take? Can it genuinely revolutionize personal transportation? Gleaning insights through Isaacson’s meticulous narration fan the flames of anticipation and grant readers an intimate portrayal of the mastermind, Elon Musk.

Walter Isaacson's Thoughts on Elon Musk

A Closer Look at Tesla's Ambient Lighting Feature in the New Model 3 and Cybertruck [Video]

Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3

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If you look up ambient lights for Tesla, you'll see several ads for third-party light kits. Perhaps this is why Tesla added its own Ambient Lights feature to the new Model 3. So, let's get enlightened.

Tesla's ambient lights are thin light strips that are embedded in each of the vehicle's doors near the top edge. It also curves around the dashboard near the windshield, giving passengers a near 360-degree light effect.

Supported Models

Tesla new ambient light feature is available on the new Model 3 (2024+), and will be available on the Cybertruck in a similar manner. With a refresh ongoing for the Model Y, known as Juniper, it will likely also have ambient lights. That just leaves out the most luxurious flagship vehicles, the Model S and X, for now.

The Model S and Model X could be due for a minor refresh that would not only add ambient lighting, but also include a front-bumper camera that the Cybertruck has and the new Model 3 is expected to have in the near future.

Customization

Tesla introduced a wrap-around ambient lighting strip to its new Model 3

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The ambient light settings allow you to light up the interior in a color that reflects your mood or preference. Under Controls > Lights > Accent Lights, you are handed the freedom to choose virtually any color to adorn the interior of your Tesla.

You have control over whether the ambient lights are on, off, or set to an "Auto" setting, though not fully clarified, seems to promise intelligent lighting adjustments akin to our control over dome lights, offering a reduction in reflections during drives.

While the ability to control the brightness level seems missing, Tesla did include color presets, letting you curate a series of your favorite colors.

It should be noted that the changes are confined to the light strips on the doors and dash, steering clear of the footwell lights and other interior lighting.

Future Enhancements

With Tesla, we can be assured there will be enhancements to this feature in a future update. In fact, the Tesla community is already busy coming up with useful suggestions. Some owners thought Tesla should take advantage of the lighting to provide driver feedback, such as automatically changing the ambient lighting to a red hue when there's a vehicle in your blind spot. Tesla could also glow the light strip on a door if it's not closed properly, or use the lighting to provide feedback when Sentry Mode is enabled.

Other uses could be more fun, such as cycling the light through various colors when the 'Rainbow Road' easter egg is activated.

Ambient Lighting in Action

While the possibilities are endless and Tesla engineers will surely have fun coming up with creative uses for the feature, the biggest improvement we can hope for in the near future is the ability to adjust the light intensity.

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Tesla Model 3 'Highland' Performance Details Discovered in European Documents

Tesla's new Model 3 received a host of exterior and interior upgrades

Tesla

Tesla outdid itself with the refreshed Model 3, known as the Highland. Despite all the fantastic upgrades, something is missing - the Performance version or perhaps the Plaid. The letter "T" has shown up on vehicle certificates in Europe, and despite Elon Musk's sense of humor, it is unlikely this is a Mr. T reference.

Deciphering the 'T'

A new document shows the new Model 3 Performance will have a dual motor

eivissacopter / X

Diligent scrutiny of the European Type Certificate, issued by the Dutch vehicle authority RDW and shared on the TFF Forum, revealed a subtle yet pivotal alteration — including the letter 'T' in the eighth digit of the Model 3 Performance's VIN.

This seemingly minor detail, indicative of the vehicle's motor/drive unit type, sparked curiosity and speculation on the forum. Could it be a tri-motor setup to usher in a new Plaid version of the Model 3? This vehicle has already got endless amounts of zip, but three motors? May The Schwartz Be With You!

This could also explain the Model 3+ badging that was spotted during the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China inspection of the refresh. However, the regulatory filings highlighted just two distinct variants of the car: a rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a 194 kW motor and an all-wheel drive (AWD) dual-motor setup that combines to deliver a formidable 331 kW of maximum power.

Initial conjectures leaned towards the possibility of a tri-motor setup, drawing parallels with the Plaid variants of the Model S and Model X. However, a deeper dive into the certification document clarified that the Model 3 Performance retained its Dual Motor setup, dispelling the possibility of a tri-motor upgrade.

Strategic Enhancements: A Glimpse into Potential Upgrades

Given the documented specifications, it becomes plausible that Tesla has strategically enhanced one of the dual motors, potentially aligning it with the advanced motor found in the Model S/X Plaid. This modification is poised to augment the top-end speed and acceleration of the Model 3 Performance, addressing its comparative limitations in extended races against traditional gas-powered supercars.

Meanwhile, the Model 3 refresh has become the new Bigfoot of the roads of North America, with rare sightings posted on social media. However, it appears the continent is excluded from the initial launch of the Model 3 Highland. Internal communications within Tesla suggest North American enthusiasts might have to exercise patience until 2024.

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