Tesla Model 3 Spotted Near Tesla HQ

Apr 07, 2017 11:40 PM EDT | Joyce Vega

Elon Musk had recently released a video of the first Model 3 release candidate drive, but the video was very low resolution and dark. Now, a new video is circling the internet that shows the prototype driving around Tesla’s headquarters in Palo Alto.

As reported by Electrek, the area around Tesla’s headquarters is one of the prominent spots to get a glimpse of tesla’s prototypes being tested. Tesla Model 3 was seen with a BMW as a chase car. Other similar vehicles are often used during testing phases for performance tuning. The release candidate seems to feature additional sensors on the C-Pillars, and according to the videos from both sightings, the trunk opening on the release car appears to be the same as it was on the pre-alpha prototype.

There were early complaints about the hatch opening when the vehicle was first revealed, but Elon Musk later said that Tesla has fixed it. Elon Musk had previously reported on the interior being spaceship-like, but unfortunately, there is no clear view of the interior with the recent Model 3 sightings.

According to Teslarati, the Model 3 spotted in both videos might not be the final release candidate but a development car. Development cars are used by engineers solely for testing purposes. Furthermore, some Tesla enthusiasts on the forums pointed out that this particular model in the video uses old headlights and there are some noticeable body panel gaps.

The initial starting price of the Model 3 is $35,000, but for that kind of many people will most likely receive a bare Model 3 without any option. Last year, CEO Elon Musk said that he expects the price to be close to $42,000, but the new data suggest that the reservation holders are preparing to pay between $45,000 and $55,000. This is understandable as most of them are going to buy a battery pack upgrade from the base model.

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