Connect with us

News

Tesla updates Model 3 with same premium textile material as Model S, X

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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. 

Advertisement

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.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E

When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

Published

on

Credit: Ford Motor Company

Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.

Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.

However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.

Advertisement

Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.

Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.

Advertisement

When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.

Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking

It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.

It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

Published

on

Credit: @jojje167 on X

Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.

The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.

Here’s what they look like in action:

As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.

Advertisement

There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:

Advertisement

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.

Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.

This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

Published

on

xAI-supercomputer-memphis-environment-pushback
Credit: xAI

Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.

Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.

Advertisement

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards. 

Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD. 

Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible. 

The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.

Advertisement
Continue Reading