Model 3 Project Highland concept based on a potential leak
Cybrtrk420/Twitter
The anticipation surrounding Tesla's forthcoming Model 3 refresh, known as "Project Highland," has reached fever pitch, and the latest drone footage from the Fremont test track only adds to the excitement. The video reveals a vehicle boasting a steering wheel design similar to the Tesla Semi and the Model S. Perhaps even more intriguing is the absence of traditional stalks, lending credibility to rumors of an innovative shift towards on-screen controls for shifting between park, drive, and reverse modes.
A New Vision for Interior Design
The drone footage (video below) reveals more than just a new steering wheel design. The door trim, intriguingly, appears to be concealed. This design choice suggests that Tesla might be rethinking how the dashboard design integrates with the door, potentially creating a more unified, aesthetically pleasing interior. We previously reported that the wood grain would no longer be available in the latest version.
The video also reveals that "smart shift" is coming to the Model 3 refresh. At the 3-minute, 20-second mark of the video below, you can see a closeup of the driver swiping the display downward to shift the vehicle into reverse. Almost immediately afterward, the vehicle is backing up.
What's not immediately clear, is whether Tesla will add smart shift to current Model 3 and Model Y vehicles as well, or if it will be exclusive to Project Highland and Project Juniper.
Illuminating Changes: Reverse Lights and Trunk Lid
One of the most revealing aspects of the footage was a noticeable change at the vehicle's rear end: the reverse lights now appear lower in the bumper. This change aligns with our previous reports, confirming that Tesla is indeed revisiting the design of these critical safety features.
The plot thickens with rumors of a leaked new trunk lid design that suggests a transformation of the rear lights into a slimmer look. The observed shift in the positioning of the reverse lights lends some credibility to these rumors, although we await official confirmation from Tesla.
The Path Ahead: Production and Expectations
While Tesla China has publicly refuted rumors of starting trial production at Giga Shanghai next month, such denials often occur before significant launches. These recent revelations seem to align with previous reports, suggesting that Tesla might be gearing up for mass production of the Model 3 refresh by Q3.
Driver seen shifting the Model 3 refresh into reverse using smart shift
Caliber197/YouTube
The Model 3 refresh, with its potential groundbreaking design changes and anticipated advanced technology integration, is set to redefine Tesla's standing in the auto industry. As we await further details, these early glimpses paint a picture of a vehicle that blends innovation, aesthetics, and functionality, promising a new chapter in Tesla's legacy of electric vehicle design.
Last week, Mark Ruber, an engineering YouTuber best known for his glitter bombs, released a video where he tested Tesla's Autopilot against various conditions - including the iconic ACME painted wall.
During this test, many people noted that Mark was using Autopilot rather than FSD, even though his video was titled “Can you Fool a Self-Driving Car?”. The Tesla on Autopilot went up against a vehicle equipped with Luminar’s LIDAR rig, running some sort of basic autonomy or safety software.
New Video Tests FSD
Many people were disappointed with Mark’s video and his testing methods, so several creators got to work to actually test out Tesla’s FSD.
Creator Kyle Paul over on X made a much better follow-up video, using both a HW3 Model Y as well as an AI4 Cybertruck. In a relatively unsurprising turn of events, the Cybertruck was successfully able to detect the wall, slowed down, and came to a stop. The Cybertruck was running FSD 13.2.8.
Kyle’s team did a fantastic job building the wall and testing this in a private area using FSD rather than Autopilot. On top of that - they re-tested the results several times and recorded the entire thing in and out. While Mark’s video was more for entertainment, Kyle really set out to prove what would really happen in this unlikely scenario.
Sadly, the HW3 Model Y was unable to detect the wall, and manual intervention was required in each test. While the Model Y was running FSD 12.5.4.2 rather than an FSD V12.6 build, we don’t expect this to have had a significant impact on the test - this is more of an issue with how computer vision analyzes the environment.
There are several major differences between HW3 and HW4. The first is obviously that the version that runs on AI4 is more advanced, as the hardware is capable of processing a lot more data. However, AI4 also features much higher-resolution cameras than HW3, and Tesla recently added the ability for the video feeds to be processed at full resolution on FSD V13. This could have made the difference, although it’s not entirely clear. Perhaps if HW3 gets a version of FSD V13 in the future, HW3 can be retested to see if it passes the “ACME wall” test.
Watch
Kyle’s entire video is below. It’s only 10 minutes long, so definitely give it a watch. Props to Kyle on the quick and thorough execution.
What Does This Mean for FSD?
We broke down Mark’s test - and examined all the little issues that we discovered after doing some in-depth research - you can read our analysis here.
Putting aside the issues with Mark’s testing and instead using the new results - it seems that if you were to have to fight against Wile-E-Coyote and his ACME tools with your Tesla, cartoon logic may win if you’re on an HW3 vehicle. If you’re on an AI4 vehicle, you’ll likely come to a safe stop.
Vehicle depth perception is definitely something that Tesla has been hard at work to improve - and some fairly drastic improvements came with FSD V13 that haven’t been entirely translated to FSD V12 just yet. Future versions of HW3 FSD may be able to determine that the wall is there successfully. So Kyle - if you’re reading this - don’t get rid of that wall. We’d love to see more testing in the future.
However, this entire test scenario is so out of left field… there is a good likelihood this same test would fool some human drivers as well. The most important part is that the future of autonomy will not fall for these tricks, so it's very unlikely for someone to weaponize this idea as it’d only possibly work on a small segment of vehicles.
If Wile-E-Coyote is after you, someone else may drive into the wall before your Tesla does.
Not a Tesla App
We’re not kidding, this really happened already. This isn’t a realistic scenario outside of someone trying to play an insane prank - but it’s good to know that FSD V13 is capable of dodging this.
Tesla regularly holds quarterly all-hands meetings for employees, but last night marks the first time Tesla has live-streamed the event for the public.
The meeting primarily focused on Tesla’s employees, recent achievements, and the future of Tesla. While it didn’t reveal much new information, it was interesting to see Elon Musk candidly engaging with his teams, who seem to genuinely enjoy working with him. Still, there were a few noteworthy takeaways.
As with Tesla’s Earnings Calls and other live events, we’ve put together a concise, easy-to-digest recap of everything discussed.
General Points
Work-related Injuries declined over time
Planning to expand to new markets
Cell Manufacturing
Continuing to invest in battery supply
Cheapest, lowest cost per kWh cell
The supercharger network continues to grow
Vehicle range and charging speed should match the needs of humans and their required time for breaks
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