Model 3 Enthusiast Gives Detailed Look At Tesla’s Mass Market EV: Hood Weights, Interiors, Storage, And More


It is no secret that Tesla has been keeping most of the details about the Model 3 a secret to the EV community. Even as the carmaker releases more production units to customers, very few details about the mass market EV have been released. Fortunately, a Tesla enthusiast and Model S owner recently provided what could only be the most intimate look to date about the electric vehicle. Needless to say, the car’s features and attributes sound very promising.

The Model S owner, interacting with other EV enthusiasts in an article on Electrek, described a recent meeting with a Model 3 owner. According to the Tesla fan, the owner of the Model 3 got the EV delivered on September 17. Since then, the electric car has traveled from northern California to southern California. The Model 3’s owner was a former employee at Tesla, where he worked for five years. The mass market car was also his first EV.

The Model S owner’s comment about the Model 3 triggered a lot of positive responses from the Electrek community. Many users, for one, ended up probing the EV enthusiast for details on the Model 3 sighting. Fortunately, the Tesla aficionado provided very specific details, covering many aspects of the car, from its two trunk spaces to its door handles and its controversial touchscreen controls.

Interestingly, according to the Model S owner, the Model 3 is very distinct from other Tesla vehicles.

“The front hood is super light compared to a Model S. Its frunk is about the same width/length, just shallower. Rear trunk isn’t as big as the Model S, but it’s still really deep and still has the compartment under the carpet.

“The door handles only pivot one way (they’re not reversible), so you have to push in the fat part to make the rest pop out. The portion that popped out was thicker than I expected, probably 1-inch deep, so it feels solid. The door windows aren’t rimmed.”

The Tesla enthusiast also elaborated on the interior of the Model 3. According to the Model S owner, the interior of the Model 3 is significantly different than any vehicle that Tesla has manufactured in the past. The absence of knobs and other displays, however, was not as radical as the EV community initially expected.

“Like everyone has said, the interior is simple in a good way. It’s just the steering wheel, the touch screen, and nothing else. It’s a flat surface behind it and, unlike the Model S, that surface is pretty low. I kept looking at it left and right trying to take it in.

“It’s different from any other car’s interior but while being completely normal. I wouldn’t describe it as crazy different or amazing, but because it is so minimalist that it feels noticeably nice. The all glass rear windshield looks awesome. You have to see it in person. The tinting looks great on it, and it’s like cars aren’t supposed to have a bar above the rear seats.”

The Model 3 is quite controversial due to Tesla’s decision to have all of the car’s features accessible through its massive 15-inch center touchscreen. According to the Model S owner, however, the quality of the display is quite pleasant to the eyes and is almost better than the touchscreen on Tesla’s other, more premium vehicles.

“Compared to my Model S the touchscreen has no backlight glare. I don’t know if that had to do with the older Model S or aging or what, but the colors come out more because of it. I didn’t use the UI much because it was mostly very similar to the Model S. I think the maps app and charging app looked almost identical.”

The Tesla fan also commented on the steering wheel buttons, which are used to toggle through the functions of the EV. Lastly, the Model S owner discussed the car’s cup holders, which are reportedly hidden well in the door.

“The steering wheel buttons work exactly like a mouse’s scroll wheel — you can scroll it up and down or push the scroll wheel left, right, or in for a click. There are no other buttons surrounding these scroll wheels.

“There are cupholders in the door, but they’re very inconspicuous. I had to look for where a bottle would go in the door before I found the spot. They hold a bottle at an angle.”

Tesla is expected to ramp up the mass production of the Model 3 within the next few months. If CEO Elon Musk’s projections are met, the upstart carmaker would be producing as many as 20,000 Model 3 units a month by the end of 2017.

[Featured Image by Tesla]

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