Tesla officially announces chrome delete, new aero rims, power trunk and a whole lot more [Update]

Tesla has finally officially announced a number of changes that have been rumoured to be coming to the Model 3.

The changes, which first appeared on the Design Studio late tonight, show off the new factory black trim, new aero cap wheels, power trunk, center console, and a whole lot more.

Even with all the changes listed below, the prices off all trim levels have remained unchanged.

When can we expect to see the first deliveries with all these changes? Tesla’s website tells us the current wait time is 5-9 weeks for all Model 3 variants, so it is likely going to be a few more weeks until we see them on the road.

Power Trunk

A big change that only gets a small mention on the Design Studio is the addition of a power trunk.

Tesla Model 3 power trunk

Drive Tesla reported exclusively on this change back in August with pictures of the new setup. We have yet to find any official pictures on Tesla’s website, but this is what the new power trunk will look like.

New Model 3 struts

Range and Speed Increase

Along with the design changes, all variants of the Model 3 got a significant range boost. The Performance Model 3 also got an increase to its acceleration.

The Standard Range Plus (SR+) has gone from 402km up to 423km. The Long Range (LR) has seen a huge jump from 518km to 568km, while the Performance variant has increased from 468km to 507km.

The 0-60mph time for the Performance Model 3 dropped to 3.1s (or 3.3s 0-100km/h).

New Aero Rims

Last week we saw the first pictures of the new 19″ Sport rims for the Model 3. We reported that the aero rims were also going to get a refresh, and tonight Tesla confirmed it with the new wheels on the Design Studio.

New Tesla Model 3 aero wheel

The changes are subtle, but obvious at the same time. Much like the new Sport rim, the aero cap appears to be flatter, and also appear to have more of a contrast between the black and grey. We’ll have to wait for more pictures to see if there have been any changes underneath.

New Überturbine Rims

Along with the redesign of the Aero wheels, Tesla has now brought the 20’’ Überturbine wheels from the Model Y over the Model 3. This is now the new stock wheel for the Performance variant, and the grey 20″ Sport rims are no longer available.

Model 3 Uberturbine

Center Console

Tesla also confirmed the new center console which we first showed you last week. The one thing we didn’t know until know is that the optional white interior gets the same center console as the black interior.Tesla Model 3 white interior

New Steering Wheel?

This one isn’t confirmed, but we have reported on rumours the Model 3 will be getting a new, possibly heated steering wheel. The interior descriptions for both the Model S and Model X mention their heated steering wheels, but the Model 3 description still does not include mention of it.

We’ll have to wait and see until the car starts being delivered, or until Tesla updates the description.

UPDATE: The heated steering wheel has now been confirmed. Read more about it here.

USB-C Ports

Tesla has removed all USB ports, now going with four USB-C ports only.

USB-C ports Design Studio

Smaller Upgrades

Here is a list of some of the more minor interior upgrades to the Model 3.

  • Satin black sill plates
  • Seat controls now have a graphite finish
  • Scroll wheels on the steering wheel are now metallic
  • Door exit buttons like those on the Model Y
  • Sun visors magnetically snap into place like the Model Y
  • Matte black replaces all gloss black finishes
  • Wireless charging pad is now fixed and wrapped in micro suede
  • Four USB-C ports, and a fifth in the glove box (with included USB drive for Sentry Mode – h/t @tesla_raj)

Here are some high resolution interior photos showing off some of the new features (click to enlarge).

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