Connect with us
Model 3 midnight grey Model 3 midnight grey

News

Tesla Model 3 midnight grey spotted near Tesla HQ

Source: Brian Armer via Twitter

Published

on

A new color option for Model 3 fans has been spotted: midnight grey.

Brian Armer spotted the beautiful new Tesla vehicle on his way to work on Page Mill Road heading west near Tesla’s Palo Alto headquarters.

Advertisement

Armer, who is a Model 3 fan with a reservation for the vehicle, got an up close and personal look at the Tesla vehicle that could revolutionize the EV market.

“I was extremely excited just to see the car at all,” Armer said in a Twitter direct message. “Being near HQ, I thought I’d see one by now.”

Armer, who is also an avid Model S fan, said that he was a bit surprised by the size of the vehicle compared to the Model S.

“Initial thought was it’s smaller than I expected. BMW 3 series-ish, which I guess shouldn’t be a surprise, but I’m used to seeing so many Model S out here I’ve gotten used to full sedan size,” said Armer. It’s “probably because I was secretly hoping Model 3 was just a cheaper model S.”

Advertisement

The new color sparked discussion on social media as well, as Tesla fans everywhere began discussing how this would influence their potential choice for which Model 3 they would choose as their own.

“Yup… This makes the decision harder,” wrote Aboveliquidice on a Tesla Subreddit. “Thanks!…!”

Tesla unveiled the Model 3’s red, silver and matte black options to fans last March. This new midnight grey color choice has excited a lot of fans who are delighted by the fresh, modern feel of the color scheme.

In addition to the colors, black, white and blue models have been spotted and are considered to be a part of the official color offering.

Advertisement
Model 3 midnight grey

(Source: SpiedBilde)

Model 3 midnight grey

Model 3 midnight grey

(Source: Teslarati)

We also reported on a “Signature Red” Model 3 sighting in May, which features a darker red than the standard model.

The Model 3 also has a fan-made design studio so anxious reservation holders can see what their new Tesla will look like once production ramps up.

While CEO Elon Musk has said that an official design studio will be up and running as production continues through the end of July, for now fans can visit Model3Config for an opportunity to customize a Model 3’s color. The site also provides options for changing the style of the interior.

Once the official Tesla design studio is up and running, Musk said the studio will only allow people to pick a color and decide between 18- or 19-inch wheels.

The various colors, albeit limited at first, are “critical to achieving a rapid production ramp,” according to Musk. The number of configurable options will likely allow Musk and Tesla to achieve their volume goals before they embrace the fun of intricate color schemes and vehicle design.

Advertisement

However, with red, sliver, black, blue, white and now midnight grey options, Tesla customers will have a fairly diverse palette to choose from when it comes time to personalize their Model 3 design.  

I'm an East Coast reporter for Teslarati. Contact me at matt@teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Lemonade launches Tesla FSD insurance program in Oregon

The program was announced by Lemonade co-founder Shai Wininger on social media platform X.

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla drivers in Oregon can now receive significant insurance discounts when using FSD, following the launch of Lemonade’s new Autonomous Car insurance program. 

The program was announced by Lemonade co-founder Shai Wininger on social media platform X.

Lemonade launches FSD-based insurance in Oregon

In a post on X, Wininger confirmed that Lemondade’s Autonomous Car insurance product for Tesla is now live in Oregon. The program allows eligible Tesla owners to receive roughly 50% off insurance costs for every mile driven using Tesla’s FSD system.

“And… we’re ON. @Lemonade_Inc’s Autonomous Car for @Tesla FSD is now live in Oregon. Tesla drivers in Oregon can now get ~50% off their Tesla FSD-driven miles + the best car insurance experience in the US, bar none,” Wininger wrote in his post. 

Advertisement

As per Lemonade on its official website, the program is built on Tesla’s safety data, which indicates that miles driven using FSD are approximately twice as safe as those driven manually. As a result, Lemonade prices those miles at a lower rate. The insurer noted that as FSD continues to improve, associated discounts could increase over time.

How Lemonade tracks FSD miles

Lemonade’s FSD discount works through a direct integration with Tesla vehicles, enabled only with a driver’s explicit permission. Once connected, the system distinguishes between miles driven manually and those driven using FSD, applying the discount automatically to qualifying miles.

There is no minimum FSD usage requirement. Drivers who use FSD occasionally still receive discounted rates for those miles, while non-FSD miles are billed at competitive standard rates. Lemonade also emphasized that coverage and claims handling remain unchanged regardless of whether a vehicle is operating under manual control or FSD at the time of an incident.

The program is currently available only to Teslas equipped with Hardware 4 or newer, running firmware version 2025.44.25.5 or later. Lemonade also allows policyholders to bundle Tesla insurance with renters, homeowners, pet, or life insurance policies for additional savings.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla exec: Preparations underway but no firm timeline yet for FSD rollout in China

The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla has not set a specific launch date for Full Self-Driving in China, despite the company’s ongoing preparations for a local FSD rollout. 

The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.

Tesla China prepares FSD infrastructure

Speaking in a recent media interview, the executive confirmed that Tesla has established a local training center in China to support the full adaptation of FSD to domestic driving conditions, as noted in a report from Sina News. However, she also noted that the company does not have a specific date when FSD will officially roll out in China.

“We have set up a local training center in China specifically to handle this adaptation,” Tao said. “Once officially released, it will demonstrate a level of performance that is no less than, and may even surpass, that of local drivers.”

Advertisement

Tao also emphasized the rapid accumulation of data by Tesla’s FSD system, with the executive highlighting that Full Self-Driving has now accumulated more than 7.5 billion miles of real-world driving data worldwide.

Possible 2026 rollout

The Tesla executive’s comments come amidst Elon Musk’s previous comments suggesting that regulatory approval in China could arrive sometime this 2026. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November 2025, Musk clarified that FSD had only received “partial approval” in China, though full authorization could potentially arrive around February or March 2026.

Musk reiterated that timeline at the World Economic Forum in Davos, when he stated that FSD approval in China could come as early as February.

Tesla’s latest FSD software, version 14, is already being tested in more advanced deployments in the United States. The company has also started the rollout of its fully unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin, Texas, which no longer feature safety monitors.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla Semi lines up for $165M in California incentives ahead of mass production

The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.

Published

on

Credit: @HinrichsZane/X

Tesla is reportedly positioned to receive roughly $165 million in California clean-truck incentives for its Semi.

The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.

As per the Times, the Tesla Semi’s funding will come from California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Incentive Project (HVIP), which was designed to accelerate the adoption of cleaner medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Since its launch in 2009, the HVIP has distributed more than $1.6 billion to support zero-emission trucks and buses across the state.

In recent funding rounds, nearly 1,000 HVIP vouchers were provisionally reserved for the Tesla Semi, giving Tesla a far larger share of available funding than any other automaker. An analysis by the Times found that even after revisions to public data, Tesla still accounts for about $165 million in incentives. The next-largest recipient, Canadian bus manufacturer New Flyer, received roughly $68 million.

Advertisement

This is quite unsurprising, however, considering that the Tesla Semi does not have a lot of competition in the zero-emissions trucking segment.

To qualify for HVIP funding, vehicles must be approved by the California Air Resources Board and listed in the program catalog, as noted in an electrive report. When the Tesla Semi voucher applications were submitted, public certification records only showed eligibility for the 2024 model year, with later model years not yet listed.

State officials have stated that certification details often involve confidential business information and that funding will only be paid once vehicles are fully approved and delivered. Still, the first-come, first-served nature of HVIP means large voucher reservations can effectively crowd out competing electric trucks. Incentive amounts for the Semi reportedly ranged from about $84,000 to as much as $351,000 per vehicle after data adjustments. 

Unveiled in 2017, the Tesla Semi has seen limited deliveries so far, though CEO Elon Musk has recently reiterated that the Class 8 all-electric truck will enter mass production this year.

Advertisement
Continue Reading