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Farewell To the Legacy Model 3 and Its 6.5 Year Run And 2.3 Million Units Sold: Hello Highland

The original Model 3 is ending its production run, from 2017 to 2023, a 6.5 year run and selling 2.3 million units - nearly half of Tesla's currently fleet in the world.
Farewell To the Legacy Model 3 and Its 6.5 Year Run And 2.3 Million Units Sold: Hello Highland

Farewell Legacy Tesla Model 3

The refreshed Model 3 is here in North America, Project Highland, something many thought would never happen. There are a TON of changes it has that the legacy Model 3 didn't have, making the legacy Model 3 more of a relic now.

There are so many changes that the new Model 3 Highland is practically a brand-new vehicle. Here's all the changes:

* Same prices as old Model 3 for the RWD and Long Range. The Performance Model 3 remains to be seen

* Up to ~2.4% higher range on Long Range trim (333 to 341) and same range on RWD (272)

* 50% of the parts in the car are new

* 4.3% more cargo capacity

* Long Range is 4 lbs. lighter than before, RWD is 29 lbs heavier than before - it's unknown if that 29 extra lbs. will affect range and tire life negatively

* 0.1" lower ground clearance vs old 3

* 30% decrease in wind and ambient noise - which is quite a reduction

* 25% improvement in impact noise and 20% improvement in road noise - another big improvement in noise

* Redesigned interior with new door cards

* More premium interior materials - the fabric is softer to the touch and sewn with a more refined process to present a better overall texture

* Two new colors: Ultra Red, which is $2,000 & Stealth Gray, which has no extra cost

* There are no more stalks for controlling wipers or turn signals. The new steering wheel contains the turns signals, light controls, horn, new camera button, wiper controls and mic control

* New dash design with textured/woven material

* Multicolor ambient LED interior lighting extending from dash to rear seat doors

* Updated center console with real metal handles, giving a more premium feel inside

* Acoustic glass on rear windows and back window (was only on front windows before)

* "360º acoustic glass"

* More sound insulation for a quieter ride

* Uptick in hood to let wind go over more quietly

* Upgraded suspension for a more premium ride with new springs & dampers, new geometry on front suspension, new bushings, new way they mount the sub frame to the chassis

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More Changes For the New Model 3, Highland 

* Stiffer body, better handling

* More premium sounding door "thunk"

* Passengers are more protected from door impacts due to a new latch at the bottom of the door

* Two motors close the trunk now vs one before, resulting in a quieter automatic close

* Tires have more cushioning for improved ride

* Center touchscreen now brighter, has smaller bezels, higher contrast & is more responsive

* More comfortable rear seats

* Redesigned lower rear bumper

* All seats are now perforated

* No fog lights anymore

* Front seats are now ventilated, in addition to heated

* 8" touchscreen for rear passengers in the back to control climate & enjoy entertainment - you can connect two headsets at the same time

* Better drag coefficient of 0.219 Cd

* Upgraded 2.0 ventilation system, and you can now separately turn off the passenger side air

* Slimmer and sleeker headlight and taillight design

* Single wing-shaped taillight design, meaning better reliability and low chance for leakage/part misalignment

* New 17 speaker sound system (up from 14 before) - It now includes 2 subwoofers and 2 amplifiers and is more punchy - the RWD only has 9 speakers, but still sounds great

* 65W USB-C charger in center console so you can charge a laptop

* Improved Bluetooth

* Upgraded microphones - now one on each passenger side; New mics make phone calls clearer and "smooth"

* 5G connectivity with 50% improved cellular service; 2X greater Wi-Fi range (dual-band)

* Improved connectivity to phone, so the car will recognize your phone from farther away

* Two new wheel designs that better optimize battery life

* New Tesla lettering replaces rear Tesla logo badge

* Car is 8% more efficient thanks to better aerodynamics

* Car is 1" longer overall

* Tesla is working on new Performance Model 3 - TBD on timing

* Neither the Long Range nor RWD Model 3 qualify for the US Fed EV credit, unless you lease - then you can get the full $7,500

* Deliveries start in about 2 weeks (end of January)

What's fascinating is that you can get a $7,500 tax credit by leasing the new Model 3 Highland. There may be an increase in leasing because of this.

Will the value of legacy Model 3 vehicles go up over time? There was a used 2018 Model 3 Long Range that I found for under $15,000 and that was the cheapest working vehicle I've found.

In Other Tesla News: "A Few Other Products Coming Too" Says Elon Musk, In Addition To Compact Car, FSD, Robotaxi, and Tesla Bot

What do you think about the changes for the new Model 3 Highland? Are these good changes?

Share this article with friends and family and on social media - or leave a comment below. You can view my most recent articles here for further reading. I am also on X/Twitter where I post more than just articles daily, as well as LinkedIn! Thank you so much for your support!

Hi! I'm Jeremy Noel Johnson, and I am a Tesla investor and supporter and own a 2022 Model 3 RWD EV and I don't have range anxiety :). I enjoy bringing you breaking Tesla news as well as anything about Tesla or other EV companies I can find, like Aptera. Other interests of mine are AI, Tesla Energy and the Tesla Bot! You can follow me on X.COM or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow my Tesla and EV news coverage.

Image Credit & Article Reference: Sawyer Merritt

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