Following a major production refresh at Gigafactory Shanghai earlier this week, North American assembly lines are officially rolling out their own wave of updates. Buyers configuring a new Model 3 or Model Y in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Mexico will find larger screens, faster acceleration, and subtle styling shifts live in the online configurator.
While North American Model 3 builds aren’t receiving Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) support just yet, Tesla has announced several other changes that streamline display hardware across the entire catalog while giving dual-motor configurations a noticeable boost in straight-line punch.
Tesla has announced that every Model 3 sold in the U.S., Puerto Rico & Mexico now comes with a larger 16-inch center screen.
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) October 2, 2026
Other upgrades:
• Model 3 Premium AWD now does 0-60mph in 3.8s (down from 4.2s).
• Model 3 Performance now gets 2.3% more range (316 miles, up from…
Model 3: 16” Screen and Quicker Acceleration
The most universal change lands on the center dashboard. Every Model 3 trim sold in North America now ships with a 16-inch center touchscreen, replacing the longstanding 15.4-inch panel.
The slightly larger display matches the unit first introduced on the Model Y, offering higher pixel density and sharper resolution that makes the screen more readable. With this move, the older 15.4-inch screen is officially phased out across the passenger car lineup.
Spec | Old Display | New Display |
|---|---|---|
Size | 15.4” | 16” |
Resolution | 1920×1200 (just over Full HD/1080P) | 2560×1440 (QHD/1440P) |
Screen Ratio | 16:10 | 16:9 |
Display Width | 13.06” | 13.95” |
Display Height | 8.16” | 7.84” |
Screen Area | 106.59 inches² | 109.39 inches² |
In addition to the larger screen, the long-requested all-black roof liner is now standard on the Model 3 Performance. Base and Premium trims still feature the light gray headliner, suggesting local factories are clearing existing inventory before rolling the dark fabric across lower-end trims.
Rounding out the styling updates for the Model 3, the optional 19-inch Nova wheels now come in a darker gray finish rather than silver. Tesla is also rolling out a couple of performance upgrades, although they depend on the trim:
Model 3 Premium AWD: The dual-motor trim drops its 0-60 mph sprint time to 3.8 seconds, shaved down from 4.2 seconds before.
Model 3 Performance: Peak output climbs roughly 3% to 528 horsepower, and overall range gets a bump to 316 miles (a 2.3% increase over the previous 309-mile rating).
Unlike Tesla’s recent changes at Giga Shanghai, none of the Model 3 variants are getting the new “Zen Gray” interior. The classic “Black and White” color scheme is sticking around in North America for now, likely due to parts stock on hand.
Model Y: Faster 0-60 mph Times
The Model Y is also getting a welcome bump in speed. The Model Y Premium AWD now launches from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, down from 4.6 seconds previously.
On the cabin side, the new Zen Gray interior option remains exclusive to the new three-row Model Y L for North American buyers. Standard Model Y configurations continue offering the choice between All Black and Black and White interiors.
If you’ve been eyeing the stark, high-contrast look of the classic ultra-white cabin, now’s the time to place your order. With Asian and European factories already retiring white seats in favor of Zen Gray, it’s only a matter of time before Fremont and Giga Texas follow suit and discontinue the bright white option for good.
