News
Tesla updates Model 3 with same premium textile material as Model S, X
Tesla Model 3 buyers first noted a material change for the vehicle’s interior trim from an Alcantara-like material to textile fabric. Though Tesla has never officially marketed the type of material used in Model 3’s interior, many would-be buyers, especially those who opted-in for the car’s Premium Upgrades package – a required upgrade for first production cars – too notice.
One of the things that truly stood out with the Model 3 was its minimalistic, elegant interior. In both the press kit of the vehicle on Tesla’s official website and the Model 3’s online configurator, images of the car with Premium Upgrades feature pillars that are fitted with what appears to be a suede-like fabric. Photos were taken of an early production Model 3, as featured in our DIY article on how to install a Model 3 dashcam, show an interior that’s covered in the premium Alcantara material.
While Tesla never specified the type of material it would use for the vehicle’s headliner and pillars; many Model 3 reservation holders were under the impression that Alcantara will be fitted in their car’s interior.
For a while, this seemed to be the case. First deliveries of the Model 3 featured a suede-like fabric on the interior of the mass market compact electric sedan. Earlier today, however, observations emerged in the forum community that newer batches of the Model 3 featured a different material for the car’s interior. Instead of having Alcantara in the vehicle’s headliner and pillars, the new batches of the electric vehicles were spotted with textile fabric.
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- Tesla Model 3 at the Palo Alto, CA store [Credit: Alex Guberman at E for Electric]
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- Tesla Model 3 with textile interior fabric at the Palo Alto, CA store [Credit: Alex Guberman at E for Electric]
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- Tesla Model 3 with textile interior fabric at the Palo Alto, CA store [Credit: Alex Guberman at E for Electric]
Tesla Model 3 with textile interior fabric at the Palo Alto, CA store [Credit: Alex Guberman at E for Electric]
-->A Tesla spokesperson confirmed with Teslarati that Model 3 will be produced with the same premium textile material that’s used in Model S and Model X vehicles.
“As we continue to increase production of Model 3 and produce more high quality cars for customers, all Model 3 vehicles are being made with the same premium textile headliner found in our flagship Model S and Model X vehicles, which has always been planned at this stage of production.”
It’s worth noting that changes in material with regards to the electric vehicles’ interior have also been done in the past, both on the Model S and Model X.
Tesla has been known to discontinue items, in its efforts to continuously upgrade and refine both the materials used in its fleet of vehicles, as well as the process by which these materials are applied to its fleet of electric vehicles. Being able to iterate quickly, in all regards, is what has allowed the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker to be able to scale as quickly as they have, while drastically improving upon the quality and feature sets of its vehicles over time.
Tesla streamlined its production process last year when the company consolidated the number of interior trim options made available on the Model X, after bundling popular configurations together. The same configurations later trickled down to Model S, along with a reduced set of battery offerings made available for both flagship cars. In that regard, the unification of headliner material from Alcantara to premium textile in Model 3, S and X makes a lot of sense.
Tesla owners have remarked that the textile used in the Model X, which is the same fabric used now in the Model 3, shares the same characteristics to the material used in the headliner of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. According to some Tesla owners that have experienced the material, the textile that Tesla fitted in its flagship Model S and Model X is not only durable; it’s really easy to clean as well.
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News
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands.
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.
Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun.
“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website.
-->This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.
Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.
News
Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month.
Tesla’s sales momentum in China strengthened in November, with wholesale volumes rising to 86,700 units, reversing a slowdown seen in October.
New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month. This was partly driven by tightened delivery windows, targeted marketing, and buyers moving to secure vehicles before changes to national purchase tax incentives take effect.
Tesla’s November rebound coincided with a noticeable spike in Model Y interest across China. Delivery wait times extended multiple times over the month, jumping from an initial 2–5 weeks to estimated handovers in January and February 2026 for most five-seat variants. Only the six-seat Model Y L kept its 4–8 week estimated delivery timeframe.
The company amplified these delivery updates across its Chinese social media channels, urging buyers to lock in orders early to secure 2025 delivery slots and preserve eligibility for current purchase tax incentives, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Tesla also highlighted that new inventory-built Model Y units were available for customers seeking guaranteed handovers before December 31.
This combination of urgency marketing and genuine supply-demand pressure seemed to have helped boost November’s volumes, stabilizing what had been a year marked by several months of year-over-year declines.
-->For the January–November period, Tesla China recorded 754,561 wholesale units, an 8.30% decline compared to the same period last year. The company’s Shanghai Gigafactory continues to operate as both a domestic production base and a major global export hub, building the Model 3 and Model Y for markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, among other territories.
Tesla bear Michael Burry got blunt with his beliefs over the company’s valuation, which he called “ridiculously overvalued” in a newsletter to subscribers this past weekend.
“Tesla’s market capitalization is ridiculously overvalued today and has been for a good long time,” Burry, who was the inspiration for the movie The Big Short, and was portrayed by Christian Bale.
Burry went on to say, “As an aside, the Elon cult was all-in on electric cars until competition showed up, then all-in on autonomous driving until competition showed up, and now is all-in on robots — until competition shows up.”
Tesla bear Michael Burry ditches bet against $TSLA, says ‘media inflated’ the situation
For a long time, Burry has been skeptical of Tesla, its stock, and its CEO, Elon Musk, even placing a $530 million bet against shares several years ago. Eventually, Burry’s short position extended to other supporters of the company, including ARK Invest.
Tesla has long drawn skepticism from investors and more traditional analysts, who believe its valuation is overblown. However, the company is not traded as a traditional stock, something that other Wall Street firms have recognized.
While many believe the company has some serious pull as an automaker, an identity that helped it reach the valuation it has, Tesla has more than transformed into a robotics, AI, and self-driving play, pulling itself into the realm of some of the most recognizable stocks in tech.
Burry’s Scion Asset Management has put its money where its mouth is against Tesla stock on several occasions, but the firm has not yielded positive results, as shares have increased in value since 2020 by over 115 percent. The firm closed in May.
In 2020, it launched its short position, but by October 2021, it had ditched that position.
Tesla has had a tumultuous year on Wall Street, dipping significantly to around the $220 mark at one point. However, it rebounded significantly in September, climbing back up to the $400 region, as it currently trades at around $430.
It closed at $430.14 on Monday.
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
