According to reports from China, Tesla is set to release the new Tesla Model 3 Performance in the second quarter, which begins in two months. With the Chinese launch on the horizon, there's growing speculation that the Model 3 Performance could soon be headed to the U.S. and other markets.
The high-performance variant of the Model 3 is expected to carry a price tag of approximately 400,000 yuan, or around $55,730 USD. Reports from Dongchedi state that the vehicle will soon enter mass production at the Shanghai and Fremont factories.
Adding to the anticipation, the new seats have been spotted, and a mysterious covered Model 3 has been spotted undergoing tests in California. These sightings suggest that Tesla is preparing for a U.S. launch, fine-tuning the vehicle to meet the expectations of American drivers. However, the vehicle was a right-hand drive car, which suggested it was being set up for the UK.
Martin Viecha's Enthusiastic Endorsement
In a recent interaction on X, Tesla's Senior Director of Investor Relations, Martin Viecha, had a fanboy moment when he congratulated automotive enthusiast and television presenter James May. In his post, Viecha mentioned watching May's show throughout his childhood and expressed hope that May would enjoy the car, specifically recommending the Model 3 Performance upon its release. Would he really tease his hero if the car wasn’t close to production?
Congrats @MrJamesMay! Watched your show all my childhood. Hope you like the car. You should get the Performance one, once that comes out 🙂 https://t.co/H8tZKt4iHk
Tesla has yet to release full power specifications for the new Model 3 Performance, but expectations are high based on its predecessor. The previous model featured dual motors, a combined power output of 357 kilowatts, and a 659 N·m torque. It also achieved a rapid 0-60 mph acceleration in just 3.3 seconds and boasted a cruising range of about 420 miles. The latest model is expected to maintain or even surpass these performance metrics, possibly incorporating a three-motor power system for improved handling and range.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance would make a great addition to James May’s collection. Just when it will ship is still speculation. If the reports are true, then the new Performance Model 3 could be on roadways worldwide by summer.
For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.
Price Increase
The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.
The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.
The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.
Free Lifetime Supercharging
For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.
There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.
We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.
Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.
Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.
Optimus is Blind
Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.
Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.
Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.
What’s Next?
Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.
Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.
There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.
We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.
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