Tesla’s U.S. website now shows the Model 3 equipped with a front bumper camera and what appears to be the return of turn signal stalks — a major reversal of one of the automaker’s most controversial design changes.
According to new imagery and configuration details on Tesla’s online configurator, all U.S. Model 3 variants — including the Performance, Premium (formerly Long Range), and the newly announced entry-level “Standard” trim — now feature a front-facing camera on the lower bumper. That addition brings the vehicle’s total to eight exterior cameras, providing what Tesla describes as “360-degree visibility.”
The front camera is expected to enhance automatic parking performance and could also improve Full Self-Driving (Supervised) capabilities.
Meanwhile, Tesla has made another quiet change to its Model 3 lineup in the U.S.: the apparent return of a turn signal stalk. Visualizations on Tesla’s Model 3 website now show the steering wheel with just two capacitive buttons on the left side — down from four on previous U.S. models — and a physical stalk clearly visible in certain product videos. It looks like Tesla is reinstating the stalk after nearly two years of relying solely on steering wheel buttons for turn signaling.
The move follows a global trend of Tesla gradually reintroducing indicator stalks. The company brought them back to the Model 3 in China in August, even offering retrofits for existing owners. Earlier this week, Tesla also launched a €660 retrofit program for European markets. In addition, the new Model 3 Long Range RWD that Tesla recently launched in Australia and New Zealand has a physical indicator stalk as well.
Image: Tesla
Indicator stalks are making a comeback two years after Tesla’s September 2023 “Highland” refresh, which eliminated both the turn signal and gear selector stalks in favor of touch-based controls. It remains unclear if the company plans to restore the gear selector stalk in future updates.
With these hardware changes, the Model 3 continues to evolve — blending Tesla’s minimalist interior design with user feedback that seems to be pushing the automaker to bring back some familiar ergonomics.
