Rumors
Tesla Model X folding second row seats may soon be arriving
There’s good reason to believe that a much-desired folding second row seating option for the Model X may soon be making its way into the Design Studio. Would-be Model X owners who placed an order for a 5-seat interior, some having waited over a year for the magical MyTesla update that notifies them of the vehicle’s production status, may be getting a new seat design.
Prospective Model X buyers interested in the 5-seater option have told Teslarati that their Tesla Owner Advisor suggested a delivery timeframe of late 2016 or early 2017 if they are to continue with that seating configuration. This is also inline with comments coming out of the forum community from Model X buyers interested in the 5-seat option. Most of them are indicating that Tesla has communicated an end of year delivery. While this isn’t a clear indicator that a design change may be coming for the Model X second row seats, one can argue that a passage from Tesla’s Third Quarter 2016 Update letter is.
‘Additional Model X Seating Variants’
At the end of page 1 of the letter, Tesla writes, “We believe new product variants such as the P100DL, additional Model X seating variants, new product capabilities such as Enhanced Autopilot and hardware for Full Self-Driving Capability, Autopilot 8.0 software, and new store and service center openings should continue to drive strong vehicle order growth.” Considering the fact that the five seat option has been available in the Design Studio since its first arrival, and already has orders placed by buyers, one can argue that a 5-seat configuration is an existing seating variant and not an ‘additional’ one. There’s a strong possibility that Tesla may introduce a more affordable and less complicated second row seating option, sans the motorized monopost seat design, that will fold flat to maximize cargo space.
Tesla Model X monopost second row seats
Less is also more. Because a Model X with a 5-seat configuration won’t have a third row, having a complex electronically actuated monopost seat that can pivot and lean forward independently of one another is completely unnecessary. The touted benefit of having additional foot room for third row passengers when using a monopost design is also not applicable.
It wouldn’t come as a surprise if a fold-flat second row seat would come in a 2-seat and 3-seat set up to complement those looking for the 6-seat and 7-seat configuration.
Streamlining Production
Tesla continues to streamline production by decreasing the number of unique options made available for each vehicle while promoting cross functional design. In the last month alone, Tesla has discontinued the Model X 60D, removed the factory installed accessory hitch and require Smart Air Suspension on all Model X. There’s also signs that Tesla may discontinue the P90D.
By minimizing the number of options made available for a vehicle, Tesla is able to decrease the number of vendors to source product from, and thus reduce its risk of any production bottlenecks. Tesla’s factory will also be able to maintain a more efficient production line if components can be shared across its fleet of vehicles.
If Tesla does in fact reveal a fold-flat second row seat for the Model X, we would expect the seat back to also make its way to the Model S someday.
News
Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ rumored to bring ‘major’ exterior redesign, slew of modern improvements
Tesla’s Model 3 “Highland” has been speculated upon for nearly a year after being brought to light in late 2022 by a leaked report. More details continue to pour out, and rumors of a “major” exterior redesign and a slew of modern improvements are set to bring the automaker’s first mass-market vehicle out of the late 2010s and into 2023.
After being brought to light in late 2022, more details about “Highland” have been revealed through various sources. Teslarati has revealed that Tesla has been working on the project for a year now, despite it only being known about since October.
Periodic sightings of the “Highland” Model 3 have shown slightly redefined front ends, new wheels, new taillights, and other improvements cosmetically. However, initial reports had pushed for more attention to be paid to infotainment.
Tesla Model 3 Highland design details and upgrades confirmed
Teslascope is now indicating that Tesla is planning to implement “dozens” of technological advancements that will update the Model 3 significantly. And although Tesla “refreshed” the Model 3 just two years ago, these changes were mostly to update the look without changing the overall design. One example of this is the “chrome delete” look it now equips.
The Model 3 will now feature steer-by-wire, a system that relies on digital signals to adjust the driving experience and remove anything from vibrations to sudden bumps that can be caused by things like potholes.
Tesla will also rumoredly use matrix LED headlights across the entire Model 3 lineup and also use RGB ambient lights for a more modern feel.
Tesla is incorporating dozens of technological advancements within Highland, including, for the first time, steer-by-wire Yoke and steering wheels.
Other additions include matrix LEDs on all trims & redesigned RGB ambient lights, providing a more modern feel for all passengers.
— Teslascope (@teslascope) June 22, 2023
Tesla is also looking to be more sustainable with its powertrains for the Model 3 through the use of recycled materials. This a detail that will reportedly spread through the Model 3 program and extend to the Model Y.
It seems Tesla’s biggest goal with the Model 3 “Highland” revamp was to give owners what they wanted, as suggestions were routinely received by CEO Elon Musk on Twitter.
But there’s also an improvement in the quality of parts, which includes upgraded cameras that have been seen on the Hardware 4-equipped Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. These improved quality cameras are set to help Tesla’s self-driving efforts, and many owners have reported the new installations are obviously of higher quality than the old iterations.
Based on those working closely on the Highland project, we’ve been told that Highland will not only include the upgraded cameras we’ve seen on HW4-equipped vehicles but will be one of the first models to incorporate a new front fascia.
Yes, that includes a new bumper camera. 📸
— Teslascope (@teslascope) June 22, 2023
Routine sightings of the Model 3 Highland project have continued through the past few months, and hopefully, we’ll be able to see a less-covered version of the car moving forward.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla is rumored to be purchasing wireless charging company Wiferion, a Freiberg, Germany-based entity with charging and power solutions.
Wiferion describes itself as “the industry’s leading supplier of automated, wireless power supply systems.” The company has worked to provide over 100 companies with wireless charging solutions since 2015, when it initially started developing products.
BREAKING: Tesla in process of buying Wiferion – wireless charging for both Electric Vehicles and Robots pic.twitter.com/ER9ajNwe2N
— Herbert Ong (@herbertong) June 21, 2023
Wiferion entered the North American market after reaching a global licensing agreement with WiTricity last year, which unveiled its wireless charging tech using a Tesla last year.
A report from Gründerszene/Business Insider states that Wiferion is set to offload its business to Tesla International BV, a filing in the German Commercial Register indicates. “The shareholders intend to sell their shares in the company to Tesla International BV by means of a purchase agreement,” the filing said.
Tesla International BV is a wholly-owned subsidiary that operates out of the Netherlands.
The publication went on to ask two Wiferion investors if the sale was taking place, and they confirmed it but would not say what company the deal would be with.
The deal could be a work in progress toward Tesla’s wireless charging device, which it seemed to quietly unveil during the Shareholder Meeting earlier this year. Tesla showed a vehicle sitting above a wireless charging pad in a garage, seemingly hinting toward a wireless charging module that would soon be on the way.
Tesla teases mysterious “wireless” home charger on Investor Day
Tesla has used company acquisitions as a means to move certain projects forward in the past. In 2019, Tesla acquired Maxwell Technologies, only to sell it a couple of years later in 2021. It also bought Hibar Systems in late 2019.
Both of these purchases were groundbreaking moves to help Tesla develop in-house battery cells, which it produces at several of its manufacturing locations, including in California and Texas.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla is reportedly planning to show off its new Model 3 “Highland” during CEO Elon Musk’s visit in China this Thursday.
Tesla has been rumoredly developing a new, revamped version of its mass-market sedan for nearly a year. Last year, several reports came out during the Fall that indicated Tesla was in the process of updating several parts of the vehicle, including its infotainment system and some exterior designs.
It turned out that Tesla had been planning to develop the vehicle for some time, as Teslarati discovered filings from the Fremont Factory with the Highland nametag that dated back to last Summer, basically confirming the project was moving forward.
Now nearly a year in, Tesla is reportedly planning to show off the new vehicle on Thursday during Musk’s trip in China, where he’s been for most of the week, according to Bloomberg.
Tesla China shrugs off rumors of Model 3 Highland trial production in Shanghai
Citing people familiar with the matter, the publication said the updated version of the sedan is “slightly longer and sportier than the earlier version,” and the interior is also “sleeker.”
Tesla could be planning to roll out some other features, because initial reports last Fall stated the infotainment systems were also getting new functionality as a part of the massive overhaul.
Musk made it to China earlier this week, and it is his first visit to the country in three years. During his visit, he met with several government leaders.
Tesla’s Musk meeting with China brass ‘key point’ with ongoing EV price wars
Despite Musk’s prolonged absence from the country, China has been a strong market for the electric automaker, contributing to a majority of its sales through both domestic and exported sales from its factory there, known as Giga Shanghai.
Tesla has operated Giga Shanghai as an export hub for several years, shipping vehicles to Europe mostly. However, earlier this month, Tesla started shipping vehicles from China to North America, specifically Canada.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
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