Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is clearing the air surrounding the much-awaited Model 3. He has teased details of the upcoming Model 3 on social media.
However, the titbit shared by Musk could dash consumer hopes. The Tesla CEO has revealed through Twitter that the impending Model 3, which will go into production in July, will not be as advanced as the Model S.
On Friday, March 24, Musk hinted that the Model 3 would not be as feature rich as the Model S, but a more affordable variant.
Model 3 is just a smaller, more affordable version of Model S w less range & power & fewer features. Model S has more advanced technology.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2017
Musk's statement would dash the hopes of consumers who have heightened expectations from the Model 3. This is likely due to the extensive hype surrounding the impending vehicle. Expectations and speculations surrounding the Model 3 have unrealistic level, especially in the current months. The hype even prompted Musk to clarify that "many people think Model 3 is the 'next version' of a Tesla, like iPhone 2 vs 3," but this was untrue.
High Expectation's From Model 3
The prototype of the Model 3 unveiled in 2016 was devoid of an instrument panel, which is usually equipped with gauges for range, speed, and other relevant information. This led several enthusiasts to wonder if the carmaker had any novel ideas in store for the Model 3's dashboard.
It was speculated, that the HUD or heads up display on the vehicle's windshield was in the offing. A photo of the interior of Model 3, captured at a special event of the company in 2016, revealed that there is only one location for the driver to access information, which is the 15-inch touch screen located in the center console. The picture also showed that to determine the current speed, the driver would need to divert their eye direction to the top left hand corner of the screen.
No Special Plans For Model 3
Tesla does not have any special plans up its sleeve and it does not intend to add an advanced HUD to the Model 3. The speculation was addressed by Musk in a tweet and the Tesla CEO noted that since vehicles were becoming more autonomous, the requirement for a comprehensive dashboard info was reduced.
@arctechinc The more autonomous a car is, the less dash info you need. How often do you look at the instrument panel when being driven in a taxi? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2017
Musk's statement puts to rest any rumors of the Model 3 being kitted with a special HUD.
However, there is one question which needs to be answered — whether there will be any alteration in the design of the steering wheel of Model 3. The car will supposedly feel like a spaceship according to Musk, which has fueled speculations of the steering wheel undergoing some tweaks.
