Black Tesla Model 3 release candidate spotted driving in Silicon Valley | Hacker News Reader

Black Tesla Model 3 release candidate spotted driving in Silicon Valley

teslarati.com

108 pointsprostoalex80 comments

Much better pictures on this article: http://www.autoblog.com/2017/04/06/tesla-model-3-release-can...

Wow, pictures of the dashboard! No main instrument cluster as expected. Not sure how I'll like the speedometer being that far away from the steering wheel. I was hoping there was a HUD hidden in the windshield but Elon's twitter replies seem to imply that there won't be.

I don't like it at all. Personally, I want a screen that displays the speed and the battery status directly in my line of vision, not on an LCD screen off to the right that you can't read in direct sunlight.

Mini has had a center-mounted speedo for many years. It works fine.

There's also a small screen in the Mini just in front of the steering wheel that displays speed, gas warnings, etc. I exclusively use that.

My previous car - Toyota Yaris - had an LCD speedometer in the center of the dashboard, and it worked fine. On the Yaris there was a system of mirrors so that the speedo was focused at infinity, thus you could look at it without your eyes adjusting focus at all.

Edit: Picture of how that looked: http://s908.photobucket.com/user/406executiveHDI/media/c497e...

"a system of mirrors so that the speedo was focused at infinity"

This is a brilliant idea. I've never even heard of this model.

Yes it was quite clever, and meant you could glance down very quickly to see your speed. I don't exactly know how it worked.

Incidentally I think this may be why the LCD looks slightly blurred in the photograph above.

Your point being? The model 3 clearly doesn't have that.

Scion Xa has a dashboard in the middle, works totally fine; in fact its a little easier to see in your periphery

http://cdn.pinthiscars.com/images/scion-xa-2006-custom-wallp...

You're the third comment like this so far. I don't care what Scion does or does not have in the middle or otherwise. I've never owned one and most likely never will.

wow, that's quite an aggressive comment - i wonder why you felt that aggression was necessary?

If you don't have something constructive to add to a conversation, you should stay out of it. You and the other two comments "informing" me that other car models use center mounted dashboards are at best a distraction from the conversation (the model 3) and at worst condescending.

what exactly are you adding to the conversation by being hostile? less than me thats for sure. If you think im not contributing use the downvote function, thats literally what its for. Taking out your frustrations on other people is something a child would do, grow up

Any hostility you're "feeling" is a result of your own projection. Only a child keeps whining about his feelings on the internet. Grow up.

I know you're not new to HN. You have a decent amount of karma. You can't downvote replies to your own comments. Suggesting I use the downvote in a situation where it isn't an option is the definition of a useless comment.

i said nothing about feelings, you havent made me feel anything, i'm just pointing out that you communicate like a child throwing a tantrum.

>Suggesting I use the downvote in a situation where it isn't an option is the definition of a useless comment.

yeah youre right, any reasonable person wouldve surely lashed out at the people who responded to them and acted like an insolent brat. you've definitely got the moral highground here - i bow to you

I'm hoping that's not the final dash. I much prefer a screen mounted in the dashboard. Otherwise, it looks aftermarket to me.

It's an extremely bad design if they're sticking with it. When I first saw that with the initial promos they did, I assumed the monitor was a temporary stand-in because of how bad of an approach it was. In my opinion, people are not going to like having a large, stand-out, awkwardly placed computer monitor as the sole instrument panel. Even worse is how ugly the concept is, that it's not integrated into the design of the console / center panel area. It's jarring, out of place and requires your eyes leave the road to a much greater extent just to check basic readouts. Even now I find it hard to believe Tesla could make such an obviously bad decision, surely it's still an older test example.

The car itself already borders on ugly. The Model S is a much better looking and well designed vehicle. Throw in the monitor mistake and I wouldn't pay $20,000 for the Model 3. I'd rather wait and see what the European competitors come up with, and or wait and see if Tesla builds a better follow-on version.

The Model 3 will dramatically underwhelm on sales. Tesla will miss Musk's infamous initial sales target by a minimum of 50%.

I love it and will buy it. Had the speedometer in the middle of the car on my Toyota Yaris and never had any problems with it. Lots of people wanted more buttons when the first iPhone came, but then all of that changed. Also, I think the car is beautiful but, but of course the Model S is the premium option, but it also cost 2x.

I think the Model 3 will sale crazy well.

I think people are getting hung up on the speedometer for little reason other than it's a departure from the usual placement of the cluster. In traffic you go with the flow. With little traffic you might keep an eye on the speed but most of the times it's in an area you know so you have a good idea of what speed you need to be driving at. On the highway you set the cruise control. With Tesla eventually having fully automated driving the speedometer won't matter at all.

I saw one of these here in Portland yesterday driving home. Didn't realize it was a Model 3, just thought I was seeing some body-mod for the Model S.

Anyone else bothered by front of the car? I know it because of aerodynamics, but it just looks weird ...

I like it more than the snub / blank nose of the original concept.

Funny, I thought the model S with its black nose looked ridiculous and was very happy they got rid of it in the 3.

The new Model S doesn't have the black nose, and it looks great.

To me, the front looks like a porsche. Model 3 : http://bit.ly/2p72kq6 Porche Panamera GTS : http://bit.ly/2p7ijV6

That was my immediate reaction as well. Also from the side the front half looks quite a bit like a Porsche I think.

I think what makes the Porsche not look weird but the Tesla does, is the fact that in the Porsche the front tapers down to below the top of the wheels, while the Tesla has a significant flat upright with a sharp edge at the top; it appears like they allocated space for a grille but didn't fit one. I think it'd look better if the front tapered down more and with a smoother edge, like the Porsche.

Porsche drag coefficient: 0.28

Model S drag coefficient: 0.24

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficient

It puts me in mind of:

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-03/enha...

https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1d4e0HFXXXXcNapXXq6xXFXXXn/The...

YES. I had those same mental images looking at the weird front clip. I get that a grille is not necessary, but the body panels creases are designed as if there should be one, and they then decided to leave a blank expanse there instead. It’s one of the ugliest front ends I’ve ever seen.

I’m not saying that a grille is necessary. Just that if you aren’t going to put one there, then don’t demarcate a space for it.

It's also possible they're trying to maximize front trunk space.

I believe the new Lexus RX design has created a severe shortage of grille components http://www.carworldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2017-...

It looks like that scene from The Matrix: "What good is a phone call ... if you are unable to speak?"

They improved it noticeably from the first iteration: https://electrek.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/model-3-release...

I personally love how they look. No need for cars to have a grill. The aesthetic is sleek and modern.

Agree about no need for cars to have a grill.

However I felt the shape of the front nose on the original Model 3 unveil was aesthetically "incorrect" - like a streamline with an anomaly. It wasn't about grill or no grill, but wrong curvature (subjective of course, we can agree to disagree).

These new photos show a much improved nose shape.

I suspect like the current Model S, it'll look much better with a license plate attached to it.

If you've seen the front grilles of the new Lexus and Audi, this looks simple. I don't know what's going on with the front grilles these days but boy they're making the cars look like aliens. Ugh.

I get what you're saying, especially the Lexus grilles - the designers have gone insane. Audi has some similar bold shapes at the front but they pull it off much better. Also, the side view of modern Audi sedans are perfect - simple, clean, beautiful lines, and impressive unity of design language across the entire lineup[0]. This design of this Tesla is not in the same league IMO.

[0] https://www.audiusa.com/models/

Yes. I always felt Lexus and BMW should merge - Lexus makes awesome interiors and BMW makes stylish exteriors. The new Lexus styling is just awful.

they're making the cars look like aliens

Perhaps a return of 1950s styling?

http://www.kenyonreview.org/wp-content/uploads/blog/uploads/...

Haha. True.

Opposite for me. I think it looks modern, clean and stylish. I am starting to think air intakes look very old fashion.

The front shots aren't bad but the car looks ugly as sin from the sides. Big and bulky in the back with a short front end. And what's up with the suspension 3 miles off the ground. It's got some rally car height there. I'm not feeling it at all.

They severely impaired the overall aesthetic appeal of the car to force the one-curve all glass roof. It was a poor choice, causes an ugly off-set bubble look from the side.

The BMW sedans are aging big time at this point (and BMW knows it), however when you look at the two cars side by side, as in with the recent street photos that were just released, the Model 3 looks like a cheap toy rather than a $35,000+ luxury sedan that is meant to take on the BMW 3 series.

every single model looks the same. they really milking that singular design language huh?

I don't think these Tesla designs will age well. The interior is already looking like a kit car

They spent years and untold amounts of money on the body design. They cannot change it without affecting their drag coefficient and killing their max range. The body design is part of the magic that makes the Tesla possible.

edit: drove my friend's Model S down the highway at 75mph and put down the windows. No air entered the cabin. We sliced through the air like a hot knife through butter. It was remarkable. Also consider that they are legislating to get the requirement for side mirrors removed. If they replace them with cameras they gain 7% more range.

afaik Tesla is the most aerodynamic road legal car in the USA

Well it's also because they try to make the car look as "normal" as possible. For example, the inclusion of a useless grill in the earlier model s. If they truly embraced the operational qualities of an electric car and rid themselves of lineages to standard vehicles, they could have designed something that's truly unique, true to the electric locomotion, and not end up with this random mix of design elements with ugly result

Having a smooth, grill-less front is a welcome invitation to road/rock chips. These things are going to look like 80's Camry's with the lower price tag and "normal" driving habits of the plebs.

Just due to surface area, I would wager a CRX might be better...

Edit, tesla is better. .24 vs the CRXs .29 wow.

Merc E class has CD of .23.

Styling wise (even factoring in the perspective of the beholder) is worlds ahead of anything from Tesla.

http://autoweek.com/article/car-reviews/2017-mercedes-benz-e...

I find the front very fugly, not sure how I feel about the car's aesthetics overall. As for the lack of a main instrument cluster, I'll wait and see. So far i prefer the looks of a Hyundai Ioniq for example... If they launch a 40kWh+ version next year, it could be a real threat for the Tesla M3.

The Chevy Bolt is already a much more cohesive design and looks better than the Tesla's jelly bean Taurus slippery slope.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jelly+bean+taurus

I am still surprised Tesla led with a sedan instead of a small CUV. The CUV craze is in full force and it would be a much better packaging. I know there is a rumored "Y" model coming which might be the 3 on a CUV platform.

We don't know what version of the 3 we are seeing here, is this loaded or stripped? I am really really curious how much content is lost to meet the 35k price point or if they will even bother trying to meet it.

Still a good looking sedan from certain angles. I am quite happy with my Volt and like the REX option I get because I still don't feel BEV even with 200 mile range are a full alternative for a single car family. As a commuter and within range day trips sure. Planning around SC, took the lesson my friend gave me to heart. Just no.

I heard on Bloomberg tv / news that Tesla has a target price for the Model 3 in the high 50's/low 60s. So they start in the high 30s and have upgrades that can double the price.

I find it unfortunate that there are this many upgrades. I wish they made an efficient model with a decent array of base features (eg, self driving stuff) without relying heavily on upgrades to get margin.

I hope Tesla comes out with a car in the 30s that is more or less feature complete (luxury upgrades like wood panels, Corinthian leather, etc are fine but tech should be there in base).

The other thing that seems unfortunate is the cost per kwh causes a lot of overlap with hybrid vehicles in terms of cost per mile. To me the holy grail is 100% battery 100% self-driving cars which will reduce smog and particulate pollution and increase air quality and reduce deaths per mile - we need to get there ASAP - but 60k cars DOES NOT HELP get us there faster and I really feel rats like PG&E are really monopolies gouging us on electricity prices terribly. .

Cost per mile kwh/price of gas / mileage: https://avt.inl.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/fsev/costs.pdf

They have said[0] that a reasonably optioned Model 3 will cost ~$42k; so not a unreasonable amount more than the ~$35k base price. I wouldn't be surprised if a fully loaded Model 3 would cost the same as a base Model S though.

[0]: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/715934657720639488

URL should be changed to remove "/amp" at the end.

Why? I think the amp version of the page is better. It loads faster and has less irrelevant crap.

Because not everyone is on mobile, and the non-amp version displays more images without needing to drill down into various gallery widgets.

I'm not on mobile and prefer the amp version. It displays larger images without needing to drill down into various gallery widgets.

You must be getting served a different version of the site than me. I'm getting slightly larger main images on non-amp, on top of there being more images.

I'm very disappointed - it looks way bigger than I expected. I was anticipating something the size of an European hatchback, say a golf. This looks slightly smaller than the model S and if I dare to say it.....it's just ugly? The front is hideous, looks slightly like a porsche front, but without any bits that make Porsche look good, and the back looks like it can't quite decide what it wants to be. Then seen from the side you have the very very low front, hump in the middle, and then a back that doesn't really taper off in an attractive way. Not really a fan of the looks to be honest, but the size is a dealbreaker here(for me).

Hopefully they will be able to deliver on quality [1]. The bad quality control at the high price is why I dislike Tesla cars. Maybe once they fix that they will convince me. Right now I find the lucid air more interesting.

1 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/04/tesla-owner-finds-t...

I wish they acted like Apple in this regard.

People can understand and deal with having products sent in for repair, but only if you treat the issue of customer service professionally.

Yeah, getting their quality control up to spec is really going to be the big question.

The Model 3 will really answer that - if they fail with the Model 3 it's pretty much game over for them - at least as a big time manufacturer.

Not sure whether they have implemented the Toyota system where anyone can stop the production line to fix a problem. With their rush to fulfill production, quality might suffer initially.

They have a ramp up period [1], so I'm pretty sure they expect production issues. All car manufacturers have problems with the first ones of a new model rolling out of the factory, and I don't think it'll be any different with Tesla.

[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-27/tesla-mod...

Doesn't look as nice as the Model S, but Tesla I'll still let you take my money.

I saw a white one in downtown Toronto last week, so they're definitely out there..

This should drive the stock price up another $200.

Looks nice

I like some weird looking cars, but this thing is just an ugly sedan

I think I see what some people mean about Musk fandom. A "sighting" link on the first page. How is this different than tabloid celebrity citing?

That being said, I hope model 3 does good and they meet their dead lines more or less. Mostly because of how unnecessarily some news outlets were about Tesla from the start and especially around modle 3.

> How is this different than tabloid celebrity citing?

How is it even similar? One is about shallow celebrity worship, and this is about new, upcoming technology. Would a leak of any other anticipated technology (Apple product, game console, VR kit, etc etc) get a different reception?

If it were a selfie with Elon Musk then you'd have a point, but it's not, and it seems clearly on-topic to me.

This is about the worship of a new upcoming technology. What does this article add? specifications? details about dates? change log? Some guy driving and taking pictures which is possibly unsafe if anything. What exactly about this new, upcoming technology am I supposed to learn from this article?

I am equally excited about tech, but this article is not tech news. It's excitement about spotting something in the street.

Besides the new look, there is new technical information in the article, for example:

> However, what’s most striking from the photos is the addition of two new sensors that are rear-quarter facing and presumably new Autopilot 2.o cameras. If true, this would bring the total number of Autopilot 2.0 cameras from 8 to 10.

This info should certainly interest you if you were competing with Tesla. Maybe "regular people" shouldn't care about having this information early, but wanting as much information as soon as possible about things you're interested in is human nature.

The news is that they have at least one unit of a promised product that is mature enough in its development cycle to be tested on public streets.

Car magazines publish this sort of stuff whenever it's available, except they call them "prototypes" instead of "release candidates." Some people like cars, cars are technology, it fits

This is an article on Teslarati.com, what exactly did you expect?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com