Recent sightings of Tesla’s Model 3 Highland being tested in the United States suggest that the long-awaited refresh of the popular electric sedan might soon hit the North American market. While the Model 3 Highland was introduced in the summer of 2023, it has thus far been exclusively produced at Gigafactory Shanghai and distributed in Europe and Asia.
Despite expectations for a US launch in the new year, Tesla has strategically delayed the release to avoid impacting end-of-year figures and to maintain demand when the vehicle loses access to tax credits. Confirming that all Model 3 variants, except the Performance model, have lost tax credit eligibility, Tesla has remained silent on the availability of the updated Model 3 in North America.
Refresh Model 3 spotted at Tesla Engineering Fremont on December 17. Has a 2023 Fremont VIN, but Chinese Tesla badge on the trunk.
byu/vanshv2003 inteslamotors
Earlier sightings of Model 3 Highland test vehicles in the US raised questions due to Chinese badging, prompting skepticism about Tesla importing China-made EVs to the American market. However, a recent discovery by a Reddit user who examined the VIN of a test vehicle in Fremont revealed that Tesla is, in fact, producing test batches of the Model 3 Highland at its Fremont factory and may be using Chinese badging as a decoy.
Tesla, known for keeping release dates vague to prevent negative impacts on current sales, has yet to officially announce the North American launch date. With the emergence of test batches from the Fremont facility, it appears the updated Model 3 might soon be introduced to the electric vehicle market.
In tandem with the anticipated Model 3 launch, Tesla is also expected to update the Model Y in China, with subsequent plans for the refreshed electric SUV to reach North American markets.
