

News
Tesla (TSLA) bull tempers expectations with next-gen platform’s timeframe
There are a lot of things to be excited about with the 2023 Investor Day event. Elon Musk’s Master Plan Part 3 will be discussed, and the company’s plans to reach extreme scale are expected to be revealed. Apart from this, details of the EV maker’s next-gen platform will be discussed.
The road towards Tesla’s affordable car has been a long one. Elon Musk, known for his overly-optimistic timetables and targets, has been quite conservative with the vehicle. During the Q4 2021 earnings call, for example, Musk flat-out stated that Tesla was not working on a $25,000 car because the company had too much on its plate.
Eventually, Musk’s narrative towards Tesla’s affordable car changed, with the CEO suggesting that the EV maker would simply be making a Robotaxi with a futuristic design. However, by the time Musk was featured at Indonesia’s B20 Summit in November 2022, the CEO admitted that Tesla really needed to come up with an affordable vehicle.
And with Investor Day just a couple of days away, details on Tesla’s next-generation vehicle are expected to be covered. As noted by Reuters, the affordable car would likely be the centerpiece of Master Plan Part 3. But inasmuch as the excitement is palpable for the vehicle, even Tesla bulls are adopting a pretty conservative outlook on the project.
If the third-generation vehicle gets announced on Investor Day, Elon Musk will likely share a timeframe for the vehicle’s initial production and deliveries. As per Gene Munster, Managing Partner at Deepwater Asset Management and a longtime TSLA bull, it would be wise to take a cautious stance on Musk’s timelines for the third-generation vehicle.
“The formula for decoding Musk is pretty simple. Take whatever time frame he has, and multiply it by two,” Munster said, noting that he expects Tesla’s third-generation vehicle platform to be rolled out around 2025 at the earliest.
Tesla appears to be aware of the excitement surrounding its next-gen platform. In the company’s video for the grand opening of its Engineering HQ at Palo Alto, Tesla shared a clip showing what appeared to be sketches of a vehicle that’s yet to be released. The car in the sketches was very similar to a mysterious vehicle featured in a Tesla China job listing several years ago. It also appears to be a hatchback, which would likely prove extremely popular.
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Cybertruck
Tesla’s new upgrade makes the Cybertruck extra-terrestrial
The upgrade was announced by the electric vehicle maker on social media platform X.

It took a while, but the Tesla Cybertruck’s rock sliders and battery armor upgrades have finally arrived. The upgrade was announced by the electric vehicle maker on social media platform X, to much appreciation from Cybertruck owners.
Tesla Releases Cybertruck Armor Package
As could be seen in Tesla’s official Shop, the Cybertruck Terrestrial Armor Package is available only for Foundation Series units for now, though non-Foundation Series vehicles should have access to the upgrade around September 2025. Price-wise, the armor package is quite reasonable at $3,500.
For that price, Cybertruck owners would be able to acquire enhanced rock sliders and an underbody battery shield that should allow the all-electric pickup truck to go through harsh terrain without any issues. Each purchase of the Terrestrial Armor Package includes 1 Underbody shield, 1 Left side structural rocker, and 1 Right side structural rocker.
Most importantly, the Armor Package’s price includes shipment to the customer’s preferred Tesla Service Center and installation.
Extra-Terrestrial
Tesla describes its Cybertruck Armor Package as follows: “Get extra-terrestrial. The Cybertruck Terrestrial Armor Package includes enhanced rock sliders and an underbody battery shield to provide greater protection from rocks and debris when off-roading on tough terrain. The rock sliders are constructed from coated steel and the underbody battery shield is constructed from aluminum for greater protection against scraping.”
Initial impressions from a Cybertruck owner who was fortunate enough to test the Armor Package in real-world off-road conditions have been positive. The item’s pricing also seems to be quite appreciated by Cybertruck owners in forums such as the Cybertruck Owners Club, with some members stating that they would be acquiring the package for their own all-electric pickup trucks.
News
Tesla Model Y L reportedly entered mass production in Giga Shanghai
The vehicle is expected to be a larger version of the best-selling Model Y crossover.

Reports from industry watchers in China have suggested that the Tesla Model Y L has started mass production at Gigafactory Shanghai. The vehicle is expected to be a larger version of the best-selling Model Y crossover, offering three rows and six seats thanks to a longer wheelbase.
Tesla Model Y L Production Rumors
Reports about the new Model Y variant’s alleged milestone were initially shared on Weibo, with some industry watchers stating that the vehicle has already started mass production. Tesla China is reportedly surveying which of its domestic stores would have the first display units of the six-seat Model Y.
The Model Y L’s steady march towards production was evident this past week, with recent reports indicating that the vehicle’s key specs have already been listed in the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest batch of new energy vehicle models that are eligible for vehicle purchase tax exemptions.
As per the MIIT’s list, the Model Y L will be a dual motor vehicle that is equipped with an 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery from LG Energy Solution. The vehicle will feature six seats with two captain seats on the second row, as well as a CLTC range of 751 km.
Tesla Model Y L Potential
The potential of the Model Y L is vast, considering that it is produced in the existing Model Y lines of Tesla’s factories. This should slash new vehicle tooling costs and potential ramp-up issues. Three-row SUVs also command a pretty notable market that has mostly only been accessed by the more expensive Model X. With the Model Y L’s lower price, Tesla could become more competitive in the three-row SUV segment.
As noted by longtime Tesla owner and investor @_SFTahoe, the Model Y L could also become a more premium option for the company’s Robotaxi business, thanks to its second row captain seats and spacious interior. The expansion of Model Y L Robotaxis should also be impressive considering Tesla’s mastery of mass manufacturing techniques.
News
Tesla Model 3 filings in China show interesting hardware addition
The addition of a front bumper camera to the Tesla Model 3 is a big upgrade from a hardware perspective.

Tesla Model 3 filings in China are showing the vehicle could get a very interesting hardware addition, one that was not included on the “Highland” update when it rolled out to customers a year and a half ago.
The Model 3 Highland is Tesla’s updated version of the all-electric sedan, and was launched across the world in early 2024. It featured a variety of updates, including new exterior and interior designs.
However, there were a few things missing from the update that surprised Tesla fans because they were included on other cars.
One of them was the lack of a front bumper camera, a hardware piece that was included on other vehicles within the company’s lineup, including the Model Y Juniper, an updated version of the all-electric crossover that launched earlier this year.
Now, it seems Tesla is preparing to implement that front camera on the Model 3, as new filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) showed the car with the addition:
🔥🔥 Tesla will soon add a front bumper camera to the Model 3!
The images confirming this upgrade were leaked on the official website of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
H/t @kas12323 pic.twitter.com/ieRv9wiwOK
— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) August 8, 2025
The front bumper camera is a small but powerful addition to Tesla vehicles. It not only enhances visibility for simple tasks like parking, helping avoid things like curbs, but it also helps provide a wider field of view directly in front of the car.
It is also a crucial part of the Full Self-Driving and Autopilot suites, helping provide yet another angle of vision for the vehicle as Tesla makes its suite more robust. It is already improving through software upgrades and data collection, but it could always use additional hardware to enhance accuracy.
A Model 3 Highland test mule was spotted near Boston, Massachusetts, back in May with a variety of additional cameras equipped. Some believed this was a vehicle that was assisting with collecting training data.
Tesla is testing a Model 3 with some mysterious cameras in the U.S.
However, it could be a sign of Tesla planning to add this piece of hardware to a slightly updated version of the new Model 3 that could come to production in various markets in the near future.
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