Back when the Model 3 was unveiled, Tesla immediately attracted a good amount of criticism over the vehicle’s design. Arguments against the all-electric sedan were many, with arguments being presented against its utilization of a single 15” center display and its hyper-minimalistic interior. The vehicle’s glovebox, which could only be opened through the touchscreen, also attracted its own fair share of eyebrows.
‘Crazy’ and ‘Impractical’ Ideas
To a good number of car enthusiasts, the idea of a glovebox that can’t even be opened manually was insane. Practically all vehicles in the market, from affordable econoboxes from Japan to luxury cars from Germany employ a manual latch for the glovebox, after all. It was something that was so simple, so traditional, and here Tesla was stubbornly refusing to follow along.
It would be pretty easy to put a manual latch on the glovebox, so Tesla’s insistence on an electronically-operated mechanism seemed almost like hubris on the EV maker’s part. Tesla did roll out changes to the Model 3’s glovebox, such as a feature that automatically opens the storage area in the event of a crash. This was rolled out following an incident where a Model 3 was involved in an accident that shattered the 15” display, giving the driver a very difficult time accessing the vehicle’s title and insurance papers.
Over the years, Tesla has added numerous features to the Model 3. These include Sentry Mode, which actively monitors a vehicle’s surroundings, and TeslaCam, which acts as a built-in dashcam for the all-electric sedan on the road. The videos were saved on a flash drive that drivers would need to insert into the front USB port of the Model 3. The feature is incredibly useful, though it requires some work on the part of Tesla’s customers. This was perhaps the reason why the use of features like Sentry Mode and TeslCam are not universally used by drivers. This may change soon with the introduction of the 2021 Model 3.
Pieces of a Puzzle
For the Model 3 “refresh,” Tesla introduced a number of key updates, from a new center console and new Aero Wheels to new headlights. Minor updates were also introduced, such as a USB port inside the glovebox. A video from Hong Kong featuring a 2021 Model 3 further revealed that the USB port inside the glovebox already has a 64 GB flash disk in it. This incredibly minor change, which almost feels like an afterthought considering the Model 3’s major updates, makes features like Sentry Mode and TeslaCam much easier to use.
This makes the Model 3 more secure as well, as even thieves that are familiar with Teslas will no longer have any way to access the flash drive that contains the vehicle’s video recordings. Prior to the “refresh,” thieves could simply rip out the flash drive that holds Sentry Mode’s recordings, which is quite unlikely but still plausible. This will no longer be true with the 2021 Model 3, especially as Tesla has already added an extra layer of security in the form of “Glovebox PIN,” which was previously released through an over-the-air software update.
What is quite remarkable is that these improvements would not work as well as they do now if Tesla had included a manual latch for the Model 3’s glovebox. It was difficult to see the point behind Tesla’s stubborn refusal to include something as simple as a physical glovebox latch during the vehicle’s initial launch and release, but it appears that the feature, or lack thereof, was something that would be useful years into the vehicle’s release.
The Long Game
This is something that has become much of a theme in the Tesla story. The company or its CEO does something, and critics pounce on the opportunity to squeeze in a few shots. Products are rolled out and improved through over-the-air updates, and before the dust settles, Tesla and Elon Musk’s once-controversial strategies end up making sense. This was the case with the Model 3’s glovebox, and it would likely be true for other controversial aspects of Tesla’s vehicles as well, such as the Cybertruck’s design and novel features.
Ultimately, this tendency could very well be explained by the fact that Tesla simply looks farther ahead than any of its critics. Tesla skeptics may focus on what the company is doing now, or the state of its products today, but Elon Musk and his team are always looking into the future. This may very well be the reason why even Wall Street analysts seem to have a difficulty understanding Tesla’s business. Just recently, for example, Morgan Stanley upgraded TSLA stock to an “Overweight” rating. According to the financial firm, this is due to Tesla’s business expanding from carmaking to other segments such as software. This is something that longtime TSLA bulls have been highlighting for years.
What is rather interesting is that Tesla may continue to confound skeptics for years to come. Just like the Model 3’s glovebox, the company is still rolling out strategies and products that don’t make sense for skeptics, such as the FSD beta and features like Smart Summon. A look at Autopilot’s subpar scores in tests from organizations such as Consumer Reports highlight this point. Yet just like the humble Model 3 glovebox, perhaps features like Summon could serve a higher purpose years down the road.
News
Tesla makes big change to encourage Full Self-Driving purchases
Tesla Full Self-Driving was recently proven to be about ten times safer than a human driver in terms of accident frequency.
Tesla has made a big change to its Online Design Studio, hoping to encourage car buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving with their vehicles.
Now, when you look at ordering a car on Tesla’s website, the portion of the page that formerly showed a render of Full Self-Driving capabilities has been replaced by a compilation of the suite’s performance in a variety of challenging scenarios.
It’s a great way to show off FSD’s impressive ability to work through road conditions that can even stump human drivers.
🚨 Tesla is now showing a Full Self-Driving demo on its Design Studio to help encourage people to buy the suite for their new cars pic.twitter.com/RwhqbSStzs
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 24, 2025
The move is much better than what the page previously illustrated. Now, people can see the true capabilities of the FSD suite and what it could do to change their perspective on how vehicles can be. Instead of a vessel of transportation, FSD turns cars into a semi-autonomous mode of travel.
Tesla Full Self-Driving is statistically very safe, logging about ten times the number of miles between accidents as human drivers, based on recent data the company released.
Tesla Q2 2025 vehicle safety report proves FSD makes driving almost 10X safer
It is available for purchase in two different ways: an outright purchase for $8,000 or in a monthly subscription for $99. This enables the software to essentially do a vast majority of the legwork of driving. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road and be prepared to take over if an intervention is needed.
However, FSD has been proven to be a very accurate and safe way to travel. Tesla recently released a video of a drive from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, a nearly seven-hour trip, under FSD without a single intervention ever needed:
Tesla flexes its most impressive and longest Full Self-Driving demo yet
From a personal perspective, Tesla Full Self-Driving is a great way to travel because it truly takes a lot of the stress out of driving. In the past, I’ve used it during weekend Demo Drives to navigate around my town to see if it could handle some of the tougher traffic in my area. It became such an amazing and convenient alternative that when I went back to my car, I truly missed the advantage of having it.
I took a Tesla Model Y weekend-long Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned
However, I am picking up my Tesla Model Y this coming weekend and will enjoy it for the free three months before subscribing to the monthly program.
News
Tesla offers new feature to save battery and reduce phantom drain
While in Low Power Mode, your vehicle continues to use energy for standby functions, screen activity, and Tesla app interactions. In cold weather, available energy may drop more quickly.”
Tesla is offering a new feature to help owners save battery and reduce phantom drain, an issue that some have complained of with their cars.
While Teslas are some of the most efficient EVs on the market, they utilize energy and battery life when they’re parked to keep certain features, like Sentry Mode, Summon Standby, and others, active in preparation for potential events that occur.
Keeping these features ready to perform utilizes energy, and if your car is parked at an airport where it could be sitting stagnant for a few days, the battery percentage could start to dwindle pretty significantly.
Because of this, Tesla is rolling out a new feature called “Low Power Mode,” which will automatically disable a handful of settings to combat battery dwindling and phantom battery drain.
Tesla writes in the release notes for the feature:
“When Low Power Mode is enabled, your vehicle will conserve energy by automatically disabling the following features:
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- Sentry Mode
- Summon Standby
- Outlets
- Keep Accessory Power On
- Keep Climate On and Camp Mode
- Scheduled Preconditioning
- Cabin Overheat Protection
While charging with Low Power Mode enabled:
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- Sentry Mode and accessory power will remain available
- Keep Climate On and Camp Mode are only available when Supercharging
While in Low Power Mode, your vehicle continues to use energy for standby functions, screen activity, and Tesla app interactions. In cold weather, available energy may drop more quickly.”
Trying the new “low power mode” while I travel – you can enable it in vehicle controls menu->charging->low power mode or through the mobile app quick actions.
I use hands free frunk function, so I replaced the frunk quick action and enabled low power mode. 196 miles 8/23 1:30pm pic.twitter.com/E0zzXtwHmr
— Wes (@wmorrill3) August 23, 2025
This feature seemed to be a reaction to a past issue that an owner had as their Cybertruck continued to utilize energy even though the pickup was parked at an airport and the owner was in Japan. The Cybertruck had utilized a lot of energy to keep standby functions active, which left the owner in an interesting spot when they returned.
CEO Elon Musk stepped in, and it seems this feature might have been a reaction to that situation. This is an ideal thing to use if you’re looking to conserve your battery’s state of charge.
News
Tesla is bringing back something it took from the Model 3…for a price
“Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.”
Tesla is bringing back the Model 3’s turn signal stalk in China after removing the part with the refresh of the all-electric sedan early last year.
However, it is going to cost you.
In 2024, Tesla launched the Model 3 “Highland,” a refreshed version of the vehicle that included several large-scale changes. One of the most noticeable was the lack of a turn signal stalk, something the company chose to remove and instead implement turn signal buttons on the steering wheel.
The buttons were met with mixed reviews, as some drivers complained that it was too difficult to get used to them. Others had no problem with the change, noting that it was slightly more convenient for them or that they enjoyed the minimalistic look.
Now, Tesla is offering Model 3 owners in China the opportunity to replace the stalk for a price of ¥ 2,499, or about $350:
“Modify your Model 3 by replacing the turn signal buttons on your steering wheel with turn signal stalks. This modification is included in the purchase price and is installed by a Tesla Service Center.”
Tesla notes on its website that the service is available for Model 3 vehicles without stalks manufactured after February 7, 2025. Any car without a stalk that was manufactured before that date will have the service available to them in the future.
Installation can be performed at a Service Center or by the owner. However, Tesla notes that it is not responsible for any damages resulting from self-installation and recommends that the part be put in by an employee.
The cockpit of the Tesla lineup has been under intense scrutiny by the company in recent years. After a few changes to things like the stalk, steering wheel shape, and others, Tesla has usually given drivers the chance to have things reverted back to their preferences if they want.
They did this for the Model S and Model X a few years ago after implementing the yoke steering wheel.
Tesla Steering Wheel Retrofits have started, and it’s easy to get rid of your yoke
The stalk was not supposed to be removed from the Model 3 and Model Y, but Tesla chose to do so with the refresh last year.
It seems the minimalization of the cockpit, overall, is a move that prepares drivers for autonomy, as eventually, Teslas will be void of pedals, steering wheels, and any other apparatus that are used to control the car.
Tesla makes big change to encourage Full Self-Driving purchases
Tesla offers new feature to save battery and reduce phantom drain
Tesla is bringing back something it took from the Model 3…for a price
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