Tesla is about to give the Model 3 sedan a mild nip-and-tuck, according to a new report from Electrek.
Although the electric startup doesn’t follow model years like conventional carmakers, instead gradually rolling out changes to its cars, the electric-focused website says the Model 3 will get a range of updates that would usually be included in a model year refresh.
Electrek reports the electric mid-sized sedan will get a powered tailgate as part of a rolling suite of upgrades, along with new options such as chrome delete for the exterior trim.
Inside, the gloss black transmission tunnel finish will be replaced by matte trim, and Tesla is expected to update the layout of the storage and phone charger console.
Perhaps most importantly, Tesla will reportedly swap the current windows for double-pane glass designed to improve refinement.
The Model 3 has been gradually refined since its launch. Most recently, Tesla replaced the USB-A plugs in the cabin with USB-C connectors and added a dual-slot wireless charger to the centre console.
Tesla has also been shuffling around Model 3 production.
A report from Bloomberg says Tesla is planning to ship the Model 3 and Model Y from its Chinese factory to Europe and Asia – including Australia and New Zealand – by the end of 2020.
According to a Bloomberg source close to the Chinese manufacturing operation, Tesla’s plan to supply the European and Asian markets from its Shanghai factory is part of a strategy to cut the wait for customers ordering cars from its plant in Fremont, California.
Tesla’s plant in Shanghai has a current production capacity of 250,000 cars annually, and only produces the Model 3 sedan. Production capacity is expected to expand to 500,000 units per annum by the end of 2020, when phase two of the plant’s construction is complete.
The company currently delivers around 11,000 Model 3s every month in China, leaving more than enough capacity to service Europe, which accounts for around 40,000 deliveries per quarter, along with other Asian markets.
Tesla is yet to commence production of its Model Y SUV at the Shanghai plant, which is expected to increase production output every further.
