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Tesla’s Model 3 will be big news in 2017 and why you should care
The Tesla Model 3 will reach a pinnacle of excitement and hype in 2017, with projected international pricing and production scheduled to begin mid-year. These are important times for Tesla, as the Model 3 is the vehicle that CEO Elon Musk envisioned with his original Master Plan.
A new audience for Tesla
A minimum of 215 miles of range per single charge. Under 6 seconds: Zero to 60 mph. Seating for 5 adults. Designed to achieve 5-star safety rating. Autopilot hardware. Supercharging capable. Musk has said that “you will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000,” while also indicating that options will bring the typical price of a Model 3 to about $42,000.
All indications are that the Model 3 will be a four-door sedan that’s a bit smaller than the Tesla Model S. Likely comparable cars are the BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE, and Mercedes C-Class. Those models are no mid-range Hondas or Hyundais, no Nissan Versas or Chevy Sparks with base prices under $15,000. So the Model 3 will have an upscale audience but not the mass public— at least not yet.
So, yes, it’s nice to see another Tesla vehicle coming to market, but aside of that, what’s so significant about the Model 3?
The Tesla Master Plan as embodied in the Model 3
Over a decade ago, Musk announced that Tesla’s long term plan was to build a wide range of vehicles, including affordably priced family cars. This was part of a larger goal to help expedite the move from a “mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy.” Most electricity is produced at an electric power plant where some fuel source, such as coal, oil, natural gas, or nuclear energy, produces heat that boils water to create steam. The steam, under high pressure, is used to spin a turbine. Centralized electricity, then, frequently perpetuates reliance on fossil fuels. Recent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels are the highest in history, and climate changes have had widespread impacts on human and natural systems. When we reduce our reliance on fossil-fuels, we can decrease the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Human activity, after all, has contributed to anthropogenic climate change.
What’s the Model 3 got to do with all this?
The important distinction to note here is between electric vehicles powered from a centralized grid and electric vehicles powered by decentralized solar energy. When combined with a modestly sized and priced solar panel from SolarCity — the Tesla-owned solar service provider — a Model 3 consumer can draw upon decentralized energy. When energy is produced close to where it will be used, rather than at a large plant elsewhere and sent through the national grid, a Tesla consumer reduces carbon emissions and contributes to a greener climate and economy.
The Model 3 will bring the capacity to become relatively energy independent to a whole new segment of society. Tesla’s reconceptualization of a transportation and electricity generation linkage will become increasingly apparent and important in 2017 as the Model 3 comes closer to our city streets.
The triad of Model 3 electric vehicle, solar roof, and Powerwall 2
In addition to ramping up Model 3 production, Tesla’s engineering teams will work in conjunction with Panasonic to set manufacturing at SolarCity’s Buffalo plant in 2017. That is the starting point for SolarCity solar roof products. The result? Solar cells, solar modules, and solar roof tiles.
Here’s how it works. A residence can capture the sun’s free, abundant energy source through rooftop solar tiles, turning sunlight into electricity for immediate use. Tesla’s solar roof tiles will be designed in four different and very appealing styles. Once the Jones family gets these solar roof tiles, so, too, will the Smiths want them. You see where this is going…
And there’s more to the solar roof tiles than merely converting sunlight. That sunlight-turned-electricity can be stored in a Powerwall 2 home battery pack. In early 2017, Tesla will initiate the first deliveries and installations of the Powerwall 2, which is being produced at the Gigafactory in Nevada. The Powerwall 2 can power an average two-bedroom home for a full day.
It can also be used to fire up your Model 3.
So, let’s review. Solar produces zero carbon emissions and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. The Model 3 electric vehicle is priced to meet the needs of an entirely new market. That market will be able to use solar roof tiles to turn sunlight into electricity, and the Powerwall 2 will store electricity that can, in turn, power up the Model 3. By matching Tesla solar roof tiles with the Powerwall to power your Model 3, you can extend the environmental and cost benefits of solar energy.
This is big stuff, and it’s clearly been under-reported. The Model 3 has the capacity to have huge consequences on the way the typical U.S. consumer considers electricity generation and transportation alternative. It’s Tesla in the lead, all over again.
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Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature
Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.
Tesla is utilizing its ‘Rave Cave’ for an awesome new safety feature that will arrive with the upcoming Spring Update for 2026.
Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.
Tesla added a Sync Lights feature that will strobe the accent strips with the beat of the music.
It is one of the most unique and one of the coolest non-functional features of a Tesla, as it does not improve the driving of the vehicle, but makes it a cool and personal addition to the interior.
However, Tesla is going to take it one step further, as the Rave Cave lights will now be used for blind spot recognition. This feature will be added as the Spring 2026 Update starts to roll out.
A lot of CRAZY new features coming with Tesla’s 2026 Spring Update, including a new FSD app!
– Self-Driving App (AI4 hardware): New app in App Launcher > Self-Driving for one-tap FSD subscriptions, activation guides, and ongoing stats.
– “Hey Grok”: Voice-activated Grok with… https://t.co/ljeYPlq9Qt— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 13, 2026
Tesla writes:
“Accent lights now turn red when an object is in your blind spot and your turn signal is engaged, or when an approaching object is detected while parked.”
This neat new safety feature will now increase the likelihood of a driver, who is operating their Tesla manually, of seeing the blind spot warnings that are currently available on the A pillar and on the center touchscreen.
These new alerts will now warn drivers of cross traffic as they back out of a parking space with little to no visibility of what is coming. It is a great new addition that will only increase the safety of the vehicles, while also utilizing something that is already installed in these specific Model 3 and Model Y units.
The Model 3 and Model Y were the central focus of the Spring 2026 Update, especially considering the fact that the Model S and Model X are basically gone, with only a few hundred units left. Additionally, Tesla included new Immersive Sound and Car Visualization for the Model 3 and Model Y specifically in this new update.
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Tesla parked 50+ Cybercabs outside its Texas Factory with some crash tested
Dozens of Tesla Cybercabs have been spotted at Giga Texas crash testing facility ahead of launch.
Drone footage captured by longtime Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer shows over 50 units of Tesla Cybercab at the Austin factory campus, including several units clustered by Tesla’s on-site crash testing facility.
The outbound lot at Gigafactory Texas sits just outside the factory exit and serves as the primary staging area where finished vehicles are held before being loaded onto transport carriers or dispatched for validation testing. On any given day, the lot holds a mix of Model Y and Cybertruck units alongside the growing Tesla Cybercab fleet, as can be seen in the drone footage captured by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas on April 13, 2026 [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Cybercab crash test units spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla announced its Spring 2026 software update, and it’s the most feature-dense seasonal release the company has put out. The update covers twelve named changes spanning FSD, voice AI, safety lighting, dashcam storage, and pet display customization, among other things.
The centerpiece for owners with AI4 hardware is a redesigned Self-Driving app. The new interface lets owners subscribe to Full Self-Driving with a single tap and view ongoing FSD usage stats directly in the vehicle.
Grok gets its biggest in-car upgrade yet. The update adds a “Hey Grok” hands-free wake word along with location-based reminders, so a driver can now say “remind me to pick up groceries when I get home” without touching the screen. Grok first arrived in vehicles in July 2025, but each update has pushed it closer to genuine daily utility. Musk framed the broader vision clearly at Davos in January, saying Tesla is “really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
On safety, the update introduces enhanced blind spot warning lights that integrate directly with the cabin’s ambient lighting, building on the blind spot door warning that arrived in update 2026.8.
Dog Mode has been renamed Pet Mode and now lets owners choose a dog, cat, or hedgehog icon and add their pet’s name to the display.
Dashcam retention now extends up to 24 hours, up from the previous one-hour rolling loop, with a permanent save option for any clip. Weather maps now show rain and snow with better color differentiation and include the past hour of precipitation data along the route.
Tesla has now established a clear rhythm of two major OTA pushes per year. As with last year’s Spring update, that cycle started taking shape in 2025 with adaptive headlights and trunk customization. The 2025 Holiday Update then added Grok to the vehicle for the first time. This Spring follows that structure: the Holiday update introduces new architecture, and the Spring update broadens it across the fleet.
Two notable features still did not make it. IFTTT automations, which launched in China earlier this year, were held back from this North American release for unknown reasons, and Apple CarPlay remains absent, reportedly still delayed by iOS 26 and Apple Maps compatibility issues.
Below is the full list of feature updates released by Tesla.
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 13, 2026
Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature
Tesla parked 50+ Cybercabs outside its Texas Factory with some crash tested
