The revamped Model 3 is slightly longer and sportier than earlier versions and has a sleeker interior design, according to Bloomberg.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Tesla is nearing the final stages before starting trial production of its revamped Model 3 sedan in Shanghai, a Bloomberg report today said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The revised Model 3 is slightly longer, sportier and has a sleeker interior design than earlier versions, the people said, according to the report.
Since the beginning of this month, some production staff at Tesla's Shanghai plant have been asked to keep their phones in special lockers outside the factory's production line to prevent potential photo leaks, one of the people said.
Production lines in the first phase of the factory could be offline for a few days at the end of the month for adjustments, though those plans could still change, the report said.
On March 1, Reuters reported that Tesla had been working to retool its Shanghai assembly plant for a revamped version of the Model 3, a project codenamed Highland by Tesla.
The Highland version of the Model 3 is expected to go into production in Shanghai in September, the Reuters report said, citing a person familiar with the matter.
With the Highland, Tesla aims to cut production costs and boost the appeal of the electric sedan, which debuts in 2017, people involved in the project said.
Appearance and powertrain performance will also be changed, with a focus on production efficiency, they said, according to the report.
Giga Shanghai is Tesla's largest plant in the world, producing the Model 3 and Model Y, with an annual capacity of about 1.1 million vehicles.
Tesla sold 75,842 China-made vehicles in April, including 35,886 units exported, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
Model 3 sales in China in April were 13,196 units, up 2,290.58 percent from 552 units in the same month last year, but down 39.26 percent from 21,726 units in March.
Model Y sales in China in April were 26,760 units, up 2,687.50 percent from 960 units in the same month last year, but down 51.29 percent from 54,937 units in March.
This is due to the fact that Tesla's sales in China fell sharply last April due to the Covid lockdown in Shanghai, and its pattern of producing vehicles primarily for export in the first half of each quarter.
