It’s a dark and stormy night — well, here in Louisiana — and adventures abound! Well, the adventure I am talking about is one experienced by WholeMarsBlog’s Omar Qazi as he finds himself at Tesla’s 4860 cell production site at Kato and Page. For those of us in Louisiana hunkering down for Hurricane Delta (well, me anyway), we are enjoying the adventure with him virtually.
10 PM. Tesla 4680 cell production at Kato & Page seems to in full swing.
Parking lot is full of cars. Shuttle ready for employees who are ending their shift.
Seems like it could be running 24/7. pic.twitter.com/sJOHexWtkf
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
The parking lot was filled with cars and the Tesla shuttle was ready for those whose shifts were over. “Seems like it could be running 24/7,” he tweeted. He also found some new Tesla Model 3 cars and noticed something different about them. That difference was the center console, which has some new white stitching on the main portion of the console (it was previously only on the upper portion). The bulk of the console is covered, but there are presumably more changes there.
New center console pic.twitter.com/uxiwr53ES2
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
I’m shaking. I found the new Model 3s pic.twitter.com/KLK9RmNe3j
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
One thing that stood out to Kristen (K10) was the chrome delete in the photo above. She pointed out that all Model 3s have come with chrome till now, and that this could be a new redesign. There were quite a few Model 3s with the new chrome delete style as well as some with chrome. (Note that the chrome delete in the pics is mostly covered with white tape, which looks a bit like the original chrome, but you can see the tape coming off on the front handle in the pic above.)
there we so many
but also a lot with chrome too https://t.co/6guUbsJy1T
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
According to a sticker on one of the cars, at least some of these Tesla Model 3 vehicles will be going to Japan. Chansoo Byeon noted that the monitor hinge also seemed different. One important fact that Whole Mars shared was that he didn’t break in to get these photos. He didn’t jump the fence, but simply followed a truck. He also said he didn’t peel the tape off of the handle — it was like that.
No lol followed a truck it was awesome
right as I was leaving see a truck going in the opposite direction. peer that black trim. follow it. bam. https://t.co/T5HdLB61cb
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
so it turns out nobody is really suspicious of a Tesla driving around Fremont
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
One thing Nick Howard pointed out was what the code on the sticker means: It’s a “Made in the USA” Model 3 with a Long Range Battery with dual motors, and it’s a 2021 model. It was built in Fremont.
Nick! I love the breakdown! Excellent!
— K10✨ (@Kristennetten) October 9, 2020
Nick Howard shared his thoughts with me about these new details. “Seeing the pace of Tesla’s innovation is truly mesmerizing. It’s thrilling to witness the discovery of new improvements in real-time on Twitter — thanks to a little sleuthing from the community.”
Back in September, CarBuzz noted that that there was a rumor that Tesla had some design updates planned for its Model 3. These are not to be confused with the redesigned frunk. “This time, the changes will be much more noticeable,” CarBuzz wrote.
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
The article also pointed out that information leaked from China showed that Tesla will be giving the Model 3 several Model Y updates and the most interesting updates will be made inside the car. The article pointed that there would be a new center console and possibly a new steering wheel. Another possible update mentioned in the article was the possibility of reduced cabin noise.
no good picture to capture the massive amount of Teslas being pumped out of Fremont tonight.
it’s truly awe inspiring. thousands of electric cars being pumped out and shipped around the world.
making first week of the Q look like the last week @elonmusk
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
Omar shared his thoughts about how inspiring it is to see firsthand how Tesla’s making and shipping out its cars around the world. I have to agree with this point. For a company that had the struggles it had, Tesla has now been able to produce massive volumes of electric vehicles that is truly inspiring. It shows that, yes, we can have cars that don’t pollute the world. This dream isn’t just possible; it’s reality for more than a million people.
hella Teslas pic.twitter.com/tSnNpvOVSd
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) October 9, 2020
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast:
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
