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Tesla Model 3 Performance gets 19-inch “Power Sports” Aero Wheels in China
Just a few days into 2019, Tesla has opened the Model 3 configurator to customers in China and select European territories, allowing reservation holders to design and order the electric sedan. With this, Tesla has begun laying the foundations of the Model 3’s international ramp, which is expected to hit its stride in the coming months.
Within the configuration pages of the Model 3 in China, though, lay a rather surprising detail. When designing the Model 3 Performance in Tesla’s Chinese website, a new type of wheel for the vehicle was listed as an option. Instead of the 20″ Sport Wheels that are offered with the Model 3 Performance in the United States, China-bound vehicles are offered with 19″ “Power Sports” wheels.
The Model 3 Performance’s 19″ Power Sports wheels. (Credit: Tesla)
Tesla notes in the items’ description that the Power Sports wheels are designed for “balanced performance and cruising range.” Just like the 18″ Aero Wheel covers in North American vehicles, the 19″ Power Sports wheels include a detachable hubcap that can “better adapt to different road conditions.” Based on Tesla’s Model 3 configurator in China, the 19″ Power Sports wheels are exclusive to the Model 3 Performance; thus, customers who order the Long Range AWD Model 3 are only able to choose between the familiar 18″ Aero Wheels and the 19″ Sports Wheels found in North American units.
Tesla appears to have done a great job in designing the 19″ Power Sports wheels. Unlike the 18″ Aero Wheels, whose design is still polarizing, the 19″ Power Sports wheels could only be described as a very good balance between form and function. While it is unfortunate that the Power Sport wheels are currently unavailable for Model 3 in regions outside China, one can only hope that the wheels might eventually be released to other regions in the near future.
Considering that the new wheels have aero components, it would be quite interesting to see how Tesla’s new Power Sports wheels affect the Model 3 Performance’s range. That said, if their range optimization capabilities are anywhere close to the company’s 18″ Aero Wheels, then the 19″ Power Sports wheels could very well be the best wheel option for the Model 3 that the electric car maker has introduced to date.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance is poised to become a strong contender in China’s high-performance sedan market. Being capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, the vehicle is incredibly quick, and thanks to the Track Mode update, the car is capable of being driven on a closed circuit. Perhaps even more notable, though, is the vehicle’s price.
Last month, the Chinese State Council Customs Tariff Commission announced that it was suspending the extra 25% tariffs it placed on cars and parts being imported from the United States. This resulted in Tesla adjusting the Model 3 Performance’s price from a rather steep 689,000 RMB (roughly $100,000) to a more reasonable 560,000 RMB (around $81,000). At these prices, the Model 3 Performance actually undercuts some of its most notable fossil fuel powered rivals such as the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe, which cost as much as 998,000 RMB ($162,000) and 1,198,000 RMB ($173,623), respectively.
With its current price, Tesla has practically made the Model 3 Performance one of the most bang-for-your-buck high-performance sedans in China.
Tesla Cybercab stands to gain from new rules that the Trump Administration is aiming to enforce on autonomous vehicles. On Thursday, NHTSA, under the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Transportation, commenced rulemaking on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
This effort aims to eliminate the mandate for manual brake pedals in vehicles that are designed to be driven exclusively by automated driving systems. This would impact the Tesla Cybercab, which the company has stated would operate without a steering wheel or pedals.
Tesla Cybercab launch is imminent after latest sighting at Giga Texas
The Trump Administration is looking to revise FMVSS No. 135, which requires standard braking systems on light-duty vehicles.
Currently, the regulation requires light-duty cars to use traditional manual braking systems that allow operators to slow the vehicle. With the advent of self-driving in the U.S., these regulations need updating, and these are the changes that could come to FMVSS No. 135:
- Removes requirements for hand- or foot-operated brake controls for vehicles designed never to be operated by a human. Existing rules still apply to AVs that retain manual controls.
- All subject vehicles must still meet the same stopping distance performance criteria via alternative testing procedures.
- While this update ensures AVs can physically stop when commanded, NHTSA is separately developing safety performance requirements for AVs in real-world driving scenarios.
- NHTSA will continue to use its broad defect enforcement authority to investigate unsafe ADS behavior and oversee recalls.
As autonomy becomes a greater part of passenger travel, these types of rule adjustments will be more than reasonable. It will give manufacturers the ability to self-certify their vehicles and avoid any red tape that could ultimately delay the deployment of these vehicles.
Administrators are also incredibly excited about the opportunity to play a role in the advancement of self-driving vehicles.
“We are at the cusp of the greatest technological revolution in vehicle technology since the innovation of the Model T,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said. “If we want America to lead the way, we have to reimagine our regulatory framework. That’s why under Secretary Sean Duffy’s AV Framework, NHTSA is tearing down pointless barriers to innovative designs while strengthening the fundamental safety requirements that matter and holding AV developers accountable for safe performance.”
The Cybercab entered mass production at Gigafactory Texas in April. Tesla ultimately plans to push the vehicle into its Robotaxi fleet, potentially when frameworks like these are established.
Tesla plans to boost production at its Gigafactory Berlin plant in Germany following a sharp rebound in sales and demand in Europe after a softer 2025.
The plans put Tesla in a better position to compete with strengthening companies in Europe and potentially other markets; demand indicators show Tesla is much better off than in 2025.
Last year was a tough year for Tesla in terms of overall demand in Europe. The company produced over 200,000 vehicles at the German plant last year, a soft figure compared to the 375,000 vehicles Tesla lists as its current capacity at the factory.
🚨 Tesla said this morning it will ramp up production at Gigafactory Berlin to a volume of 7,500 vehicles per week.
This is a 20 percent boost in production. Tesla will hire 1,000 new employees to help with the increase.$TSLA pic.twitter.com/kravKfRO5n
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 25, 2026
Tesla’s overall European sales dropped significantly last year due to a variety of factors. However, sales are rebounding, and demand is strong once again, and only getting stronger. Tesla is now planning to bump production of Model Y vehicles at Giga Berlin upward by about 20 percent. It will also bring 1,000 new jobs to the plant.
Tesla confirmed the details of its planned production expansion in Germany this morning. It is a strategy to keep up with strengthening demand.
In Q1, Tesla saw a record 61,000 vehicles produced at Giga Berlin. European registrations rebounded sharply, with Model Y seeing 117 percent increases in March 2026 compared to last year. Germany alone saw stark increases, with a quadrupling in registrations to 9,252 units.
This trend continued in other key European markets, including France, Denmark and Sweden. Tesla registrations were up over 46 percent in some of these markets, and Model Y continued its trend as a top BEV in the market.
Demand has been recovering strongly in 2026, giving Tesla a reason to expand production efforts at the factory. These increases signal management’s confidence in sustained or growing European pull for Berlin-built vehicles.
Tesla is being sued by the family of the woman who was killed in a Texas crash involving a Model 3. The driver, who is also being sued, claimed the vehicle was operating on Autopilot mode, but Tesla executives have come out challenging that claim, stating that the driver of the vehicle overrode the system.
The lawsuit was filed by 76-year-old Martha Avila’s daughter and her husband, who allege a “design defect” involving a Tesla and a failure to warn. The suit alleges negligence against Tesla and the driver, Michael Butler.
Butler “stated he was operating with an automated driving assistance system engaged at the time of the crash,” the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. He showed no signs of intoxication and was cooperative, the Sheriff’s Office said, according to NBC News.
Just after reports of the crash and numerous headlines that immediately blamed Tesla’s Autopilot suite, both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Head of AI Ashok Elluswamy challenged that. Musk said the crash made “no sense” given that Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving do not travel at the speeds the door cameras captured the car traveling at, which Tesla says was 73 MPH.
Tesla finally clarifies fatal Texas crash, confirms driver manually overrode acceleration
Elluswamy also revealed that Tesla data showed Butler overrode the system by pressing the accelerator to 100%, and that the pedal was compressed fully even after the car had crashed. Tesla has not released this data to the public, likely because it is communicating with agencies like the NHTSA on an investigation.
The suit uses a Washington Post analysis of government data that “identified at least 17 fatal incidents linked to Tesla Autopilot.”
This is far from the first time an accident has been blamed on Autopilot. A fatal crash in Texas was blamed on Autopilot several years ago, but when Tesla released data to the NTSB, which was investigating the crash, Autopilot was not available where the crash occurred, and Autosteer was never enabled, meaning the car was manually controlled at the time of the accident.
“Application of the accelerator pedal was found to be as high as 98.8 percent,” the NTSB said in their findings. The highest recorded speed in the five seconds leading up to the impact was 67 miles per hour. The area where the crash occurred is residential, and Texas State laws… pic.twitter.com/XGD97NHVZ2
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 18, 2026
More information on the accident will be released as Tesla works with agencies to find the cause of the crash. From personal experience, it is hard to imagine Tesla Autopilot or FSD operating in this manner. It drives sometimes too cautiously in residential areas in parking lots, at least in my experience. Speeding happens, but at this rate in this type of area, it is hard to believe.
We look forward to more details being released with time.
Tesla Cybercab stands to gain from new Trump autonomy rules
Tesla plans production boost at Giga Berlin following rebound in Europe
