Strong rumors of the Project Highland Tesla Model 3 are emerging from China. Social media accounts familiar with Chinese Tesla sources say that the automaker plans to unveil the anticipated next-gen design-refreshed Model 3 compact luxury sedan tomorrow (1st Sep 2023).
Simultaneously, Tesla seems to have shipped multiple Tesla Model 3 Highland prototypes to Europe as it has been spotted in the Netherlands, France, and Germany in the past couple of days (videos and updates below).
The most interesting part is that a few alleged images of the Highland Tesla Model 3 also leaked on social media. These pictures seem to have been taken through a phone when they were shown to someone on a screen or a magazine-like page. These leaked images may be part of promotional material for the vehicle.
The leaked images of the Tesla Model 3 Highland first appeared on a Spanish car enthusiast forum Cochaspias.net. Since then, these photos have gone viral across social media, especially Twitter. Even ‘Model 3 Highalnd’ is trending on Twitter as of this writing.
Until now, the majority of Tesla owners and enthusiasts feel that these images are actually of the Project Highland Model 3 and not renders by a designer, unlike the ones we shared a while ago.
According to some Tesla influencers, Tesla has also called for a joint meeting of employees from China and Europe tomorrow. The scale of this meeting suggests that there’s something important scheduled for tomorrow.
Rumors of the Tesla Model 3 Highland unveiling also flooded the internet when Elon Musk visited China at the end of May this year. However, these rumors died as Musk returned home without revealing the next-gen Tesla Model 3.
However, Tesla reportedly modified its Model 3 assembly line when Elon Musk visited Giga Shanghai. These changes were made to accommodate the production of the Tesla Model 3 Highland.
But the only issue is that Elon Musk is not in China right now. And it will probably be the first major vehicle reveal without Elon Musk in the history of Tesla (if it does happen, we will know within 24 hours).
Tesla will update the Chinese Tesla Model 3 online ordering page as the vehicle gets unveiled. Until now, the page is still showing the old Model 3.
Model 3 Highland Sightins in Europe
Since Giga Berlin only produces Tesla Model Y electric SUVs, Europe imports its Tesla Model 3 cars from China. So, testing, validation, and homologation in this region are necessary before shipping the next-gen Project Highland Model 3 cars here.
A Tesla Model 3 Highland was spotted in France at a Supercharger station with its usual trunk and frunk covers (to hide the exterior design changes). However, the test driver (Tesla employee) hurried to cover the entire vehicle while it was charging. But some of the front fascia and new headlights accidentally got revealed earlier this year in spy photos.
Interestingly, a Tesla Model 3 Highland prototype was also spotted on the German Autobahn. This means Tesla is also testing the car for acceleration and performance with real-world conditions. Another one was also spotted in the Netherlands, suggesting Tesla has shipped several prototypes to Europe lately.
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