Tesla has filed paperwork with the Chinese government for the approval of its redesigned ‘Highland’ Model 3 and Model Y. The news, while not officially announced by Tesla, suggests we may be getting close to the debut of these refreshed vehicles.
Amy @SF___Tahoe, a Tesla investor and enthusiast, shared her excitement on social media, stating, “Tesla filed paperwork with the Chinese government for approval of the redesigned ‘Highland’ Model 3 and the Model Y (presumably the new power train). I can’t wait to see it and hear the specs. Not long now.”
“The redesigned Model 3 (Highland) and Model Y have begun to go through relevant government procedures in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Tech. It is expected that the government registration process will be completed soon, and officially open for sale (at least for Model 3),” said Eliena @liuwen_52 on Monday, who spotted the filing.
$Tesla The redesigned Model 3（Highland) and Model Y have begun to go through relevant govt procedures in China's Ministry of Industry and Information Tech. It is expected that govt registration process will be completed soon, and officially open for sale(at least for Model 3). pic.twitter.com/QqTLd5aEow
— Eliena (@liuwen_52) July 31, 2023
She further added that Tesla has applied for government approval for both Model 3 and Model Y simultaneously, raising questions about whether the refreshes will be released soon and if there will be only one version of both Model 3 and Y after the redesign.
In a subsequent update, Eliena noted, “I just logged in the website again, and the data has been updated. This is the new data of redesigned Model 3 and Y. What we do know is that 3 and Y are indeed applying for government approval, but for accurate data such as range etc., we have to wait for an official government announcement.”
Tesla’s Giga Shanghai has reportedly had its manufacturing tooling changed in preparation for the ‘Highland’ debut, which might come later this year.
Project Highland continues to be spotted around Tesla’s Fremont plant in California. The latest sighting seen by a reader of The Kilowatts, shows a new design for the charge port cover/reflector, while the car was riding on 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
Project Highland Model 3 Spotted in Fremont, CA (by a friend of the channel) with a new design for the charge port cover/reflector and 18” wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires 👀 pic.twitter.com/Rfyys01zYO
— The Kilowatts 🚗⚡️ (@klwtts) July 27, 2023
The perfect time for a ‘Highland’ refresh to debut would be the start of Q4, allowing Tesla to again drive up demand to try to break its guidance of producing 1.8 million cars for the year.
