The Tesla Model 3 Project Highland has been revealed, and it looks pretty darn compelling. With the Model 3 Highland being launched, it would not be surprising if orders of the all-electric sedan see a notable rise in the coming months.
A look at the new Model 3 shows that Tesla made it a point to make the Project Highland update evident in both the vehicle’s interior and exterior. Tesla reportedly changed 50% of the parts of the vehicle to make it more stylish and aerodynamic. These changes resulted in a car that looks more aggressive and mature compared to its predecessor.
Immediately noticeable is the Model 3 Project Highland unit’s new headlights, which are slimmer and sleeker compared to the outgoing model. The front of the vehicle no longer has fog lights, but its headlights now feature more prominent daytime running lights (DRLs).
Moving to the rear, the new Model 3 features redesigned tail lights that are no longer split. The lights also feature a new pattern that gives a sharper look. Coupled with new 18” Photon aero wheels and 19” Nova wheels, the new Model 3 looks even more futuristic.
The new Model 3’s interior has received a complete makeover. As observed in Model 3 Project Highland test units, the all-electric sedan features a new steering wheel and a new center console. An LED strip is also present in the dashboard and in the door panels for ambient lightning. The front seats are ventilated, so they can now cool and heat passengers as needed.
Similar to the Model S and Model X, the new Model 3 now features no stalks. Instead, the vehicle is controlled through its infotainment system, which is the same size as before. The steering wheel features capacitive buttons, though it will likely be less controversial than the Model S and Model X’s yoke since its horn is in the center.
As noted by automotive reviewer Mat Watson from carwow, Tesla made it a point to focus on the new Model 3’s comfort. The outgoing Model 3 features acoustic glass on the windshield and front windows, but with the Highland update, they are also found on the rear windows and back window. More sound insulation in the vehicle, as well as clever tricks like an uptick in the hood to help deflect wind over the windscreen, all add up to make the Model 3 Project Highland quieter and more comfortable.
As could be seen in the vehicle’s configurator in Europe, the Model 3 Project Highland comes in two variants for now: a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) version with an estimated 513 km (319 miles) per charge and an Dual Motor All Wheel Drive (AWD) Long Range variant that features 629 km (391 miles) of WLTP range. Estimated deliveries for the Model 3 Highland in Europe are currently listed at Q4 2023.
Watch carwow’s feature on the Model 3 Project Highland in the video below.
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News
Tesla Australia Exec: No regulatory barriers for FSD release
Tesla’s FSD demonstrations have been quite impressive as of late.
Recent comments from Tesla’s Country Director for Australia and New Zealand Thom Drew have provided an exciting update for Full Self Driving’s upcoming release in Australia. As per the executive, there is currently no regulatory barrier to FSD being rolled out to Australian roads.
Drew’s comments came on the heels of a video demonstration featuring FSD Supervised navigating Melbourne’s central business district.
Tesla FSD’s Australia Demo
Shared by the Tesla AI team’s official account on social media platform X, FSD Supervised’s demonstration in Melbourne’s central business district sparked a lot of conversations online. Electric vehicle enthusiasts on X were quite impressed with the system’s capabilities to handle the city’s busy and crowded streets. Even more were pleasantly surprised when FSD Supervised performed a smooth hook turn in its demonstration.
In a comment to News.com.au, Drew emphasized that FSD’s global expansion is a priority for Tesla. “That’s Elon’s push. We have a global engineering team that are working across markets around a lot of FSD… actively working across all our markets to roll it out,” the executive noted.
No Regulatory Barriers
Interestingly enough, Drew also stated that there is no regulatory barrier to FSD hitting Australia’s roads. This suggests that FSD may be released in Australia once Tesla is satisfied with the local calibration and performance of the system on the country’s inner city streets.
“There’s currently no blockers in Australia to releasing Full Self Driving Supervised, as we have in North America. It’s something our business is working on releasing. I don’t have a timeline currently for you, but it’s certainly very exciting to be able to bring that to a market that doesn’t have a regulatory blocker,” Drew stated.
Tesla’s FSD demonstrations have been quite impressive as of late, with the company also publishing a video showing the system navigating France’s Arc de Triomphe, one of Europe’s most complicated roundabouts, recently. Over in China, a Tesla Model 3 owner also used FSD to travel almost 2,485 miles from the Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest.
News
Tesla China registrations bounce back to 11.1k vehicles in May’s 2nd full week
Tesla China’s domestic vehicle registrations have been volatile in recent weeks.
Tesla reported 11,130 insurance registrations in China in the week of May 12-18, 2025. These represent a 262.5% increase from 3,070 registrations that the company saw in the week ending May 11.
Tesla China’s domestic vehicle registrations have been volatile in recent weeks, suggesting that Giga Shanghai may still be exporting Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to foreign territories this month.
Tesla China’s Registrations
In the week ending May 4, Tesla China saw 7,300 new vehicle registrations. This was not that surprising considering that Tesla may still be allocating Gigafactory Shanghai’s output to vehicle exports. In the week ending May 11, however, industry watchers were quite surprised to see just 3,070 registrations from Tesla China.
The 262.54% bounce in vehicle registrations in the week ending May 18 is thus a pleasant update from the world’s biggest and most competitive electric vehicle market. Even with these results, however, industry watchers still note that Tesla China’s registrations this 2025 are still down 6.5% year-over-year.
Tesla China does not report its weekly sales figures, though the company’s overall performance in the domestic automotive sector can be inferred through new vehicle registration data. Fortunately, these registrations are closely tracked by industry watchers, as well as local automakers such as Li Auto.
Domestic Sales and Exports
Following the start of domestic deliveries of the new Model Y in China, expectations were high that the company would see a steady rise in registrations this second quarter. Giga Shanghai does not only supply vehicles to the domestic Chinese market, after all, as the facility also serves as the company’s primary vehicle export hub, providing Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers to several territories.
Tesla China sold 28,731 vehicles domestically and exported 29,728 vehicles in April. In comparison, the company saw 74,127 domestic registrations and 4,701 exports in March 2025, as per data compiled by CNEV Post. Considering Tesla China’s registrations this May, it would not be surprising if the company’s exports this month would exceed March’s 4,701 units.
xAI is bolstering its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis with 168 Tesla Megapacks, enhancing the energy infrastructure for its ambitious AI supercomputer expansion. The deployment underscores xAI’s push to lead AI innovation while addressing environmental concerns.
The first Colossus site is connected to a 150 megawatts (MW) substation powered by MLGW and TVA. It is supported by approximately 156 Megapacks, providing 150 MW of stored energy backup to xAI’s supercomputer. The 168 Tesla Megapacks recently delivered to xAI’s Memphis site will provide battery storage backup to Colossus 2.
In December 2024, xAI doubled the capacity of Colossus to 200,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, which consumes 250 MW of power–enough to energize 250,000 homes. In March 2025, the AI company bought a 1-million-square-foot site in Whitehaven, Memphis, for $80 million. xAI’s Whitehaven site could host up to 350,000 GPUs with the potential to deploy the largest number of Tesla Megapacks for backup power.
xAI plans to scale Colossus up to 1 million GPUs to create the world’s largest AI supercomputer. A 1-million-GPU setup would require over 1 gigawatt, about one-third of Memphis’s peak summer demand.
Initially reliant on natural gas turbines, Colossus faced criticism for nitrogen oxide emissions. The 150 MW substation, completed in early 2025, reduced turbine use by half, with Megapacks providing cleaner backup power. By fall 2025, xAI expects the second substation to come online. Once the second substation is online, the remaining turbines will only be used for backup, reducing the project’s carbon footprint.
Tesla Energy’s Q1 2025 performance, with a 156% year-over-year increase and 10.4 GWh of storage deployed, supports xAI’s needs. Tesla’s Megapack factory in Waller County, Texas, set to create 1,500 jobs, signals further commitment to scaling energy solutions for projects like Colossus.
xAI’s rapid expansion, backed by Tesla Megapacks, positions it to rival AI leaders like OpenAI and Google. The Colossus 2 deployment reflects a strategic blend of cutting-edge AI and sustainable energy. As Memphis’ infrastructure adapts to unprecedented power demands, xAI and Tesla are reshaping the AI landscape with a focus on efficiency and environmental responsibility.
Tesla Australia Exec: No regulatory barriers for FSD release
Tesla China registrations bounce back to 11.1k vehicles in May’s 2nd full week
xAI receives more Tesla Megapacks for Colossus 2
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