Tesla Switches to Fabric, Removes Rear Screen and More in Model 3 in Mexico; Possibly Prepping for $25K Model

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Tesla has made some significant changes to the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive that’s sold in Mexico – in fact, they’re launching an entirely new textile interior option for the market.

There are several significant changes throughout the interior, but let’s take a look at the new textile interior first.

Textile Seats

Tesla has been well-known for offering vegan leatherette in all its vehicles up to this point, as the only interior option – primarily in black and white for the Model 3 and Model Y, but also in cream for the Model S and Model X.

This new textile interior is now the only option available for the Model 3 RWD in Mexico – coming in gray and is listed as “Standard Fabric”. This textile-only option is also not available for the Long Range or Performance variants, or on any of the Model Y variants.

Tesla has introduced a fabric seating material

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Heating & Cooling Features Removed

Tesla didn’t stop at the seating material with these changes. They also included other, somewhat surprising changes throughout the interior. There is no longer a semi-premium interior for the RWD Model 3 in Mexico. This means all the Alcantara fabric has been replaced with the same textile fabric as the seats.

Alongside the lack of vegan leatherette, Tesla has also removed heated front and rear seats, as well as the heated steering wheel. This isn’t a surprising move in a warmer market like Mexico and it makes a lot of sense as Tesla makes its way into other markets that don’t require heated elements such as India and parts of Africa. However, due to the fabric textile seating, ventilated seats have also been removed from this model.

While we can see the advantages of not having leather-like seats in the Mexican heat, the lack of ventilated seats is a big disappointment.

Rear Screen Removed

The rear screen is also removed in this model

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There are a few changes that strike us as odd as well. The rear screen is powered by the same infotainment unit that powers the front screen, so the cost for Tesla is extremely minimal. Think of the rear screen as an additional display on a computer.

Tesla is unlikely to create a custom harness that would power the rear screen for this vehicle, so it’s possible the rear screen could be retrofitted in these models.

Ambient Lighting, Glass, and Speakers

In addition, Tesla has replaced its RGB ambient lighting with a white-only version. This seems like an odd choice, especially as in the open market, a color-capable LED strip versus a single-color strip is only the difference of a few dollars. While this may not provide significant savings for Tesla, it could be a tactic to upsell their higher trim levels that include the RGB feature.

The colorful, customizable ambient lighting feature likely helps sell quite a few cars. Tesla has recently been expanding the capabilities of its ambient lighting feature. With update 2024.26 Tesla added the ability to choose the brightness of the ambient lighting, as well as adding the option to have it only turn on at night time. Both of these features are expected to remain in this Mexican version. However, the ability for the ambient lighting to turn red when Service Mode is active won’t be available.

In addition to ambient lighting changes, Tesla is limiting its acoustic glass, which helps reduce road noise, to just the front windows.

The audio performance in this model has also been reduced. The number of speakers has gone from 17 down to 9. In addition, both subwoofers have been removed and there is now a single amplifier.

The Model 3 RWD's interior in Mexico

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Price

In exchange for dropping all of these changes, Tesla has dropped the price of the Model 3 RWD by $50,000 MXN – which is approximately $2,680 USD at the time of writing. We’re not sure that these significant changes will have a positive impact on Mexican sales. Tesla may be testing the waters with these changes, and if it bodes well for sales, we could see these changes be applied to other factories and markets as well.

Next-Gen Vehicle

Most interesting is that this new format could be the standard for Tesla’s upcoming next-generation vehicle – which is expected to be priced at around $25,000 USD. Earlier this year, Tesla pivoted and said that its next-gen vehicle will be built using the same manufacturing process as current models instead of the new unboxed process, which Tesla is now saving for the robotaxi.

The changes we’re seeing with this Mexican model will be something to keep an eye on, as the lack of a heated steering wheel and seat heating won’t be taken too well in most European countries or northern US states, nor in China and other colder climates. We’ll keep an eye out to see if this model makes its way into any other regions. For now, the Model 3 Long Range and Performance come with all the usual features we’ve come to expect.

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Tesla Improves Wrap Services: Cuts Prices Drastically, Adds New Colors and Expands Availability

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After canceling the in-house wrap program for the Cybertruck last month, Tesla has reintroduced the program with a lot of changes. Let’s take a look at the original program, then we’ll dive into what’s changed.

Tesla began the wrap program for the Model 3 and Model Y in the fall of 2023. With the arrival of the Cybertruck, Tesla launched Matte Black and Satin White options for the Cybertruck and later added 11 more colors.

These are high-quality PPF (Paint Protection Film) wraps, which protect the paint in addition to changing the color of the vehicle. PPF is thicker, lasts longer, and is far superior to traditional vinyl wraps, but unfortunately, the service is only available if your vehicle is brand new.

When the program shuttered last month, many people were disappointed about the closing as it allowed owners to bundle the cost of the wrap service into the vehicle’s financing.

New Wrap Prices

First things first - the price of the wraps has dropped considerably, and Tesla does not appear to be using a different material - it is still PPF, not vinyl. These new prices are a lot more comparable to third-party offerings that normally use vinyl wraps.

Tesla initially offered 11 wrap colors, but that selection has now been reduced to eight per vehicle. Interestingly, the color options vary by model—Model 3 and Model Y owners have their own distinct palette. The Cybertruck also boasts its own unique set of colors, though unfortunately, the popular Satin White option is absent from its catalog.

Of course, the ever-popular Matte Black is still available, along with a fairly unique set of other vivid colors.

New Locations

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When the wrap program launched, it was limited to just three locations in California and one location in Texas. That meant that unless you were taking delivery at West Covina, Oceanside, Costa Mesa, or Santa Clara, you’d be unable to get a first-party wrap done by Tesla.

Now, under the new program, Tesla is offering wraps out of all the original locations and adding Seattle, Washington. What initially seemed like Tesla scaling back its wrap service has turned out to be to them making it more affordable and efficient.

New Purchases Only

For now, the wrap offers are still constrained to new vehicle purchases—you won’t be able to have Tesla wrap a vehicle that’s already been delivered. Paint damage and scuffs can impact the installation of PPF and require additional time to smooth out the vehicle surface.

Either way, with cheaper wrap options, Tesla is now directly competing against third-party wrap shops when it comes to wrapping vehicles in PPF. While it’s still a bit more expensive than you’d find elsewhere, it also comes with a level of care and precision from technicians intimately familiar with your vehicle.

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Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

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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.

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