Tesla Model 3 has been on sale mostly unchanged since July 2017, so it’s over five years old, and it’s definitely due for a refresh that several reports have speculated is right around the corner. So far we have no official confirmation, but now the manufacturer does seem to be preparing to put a revised Model 3 into production after it was discovered it was planning to make changes to the GA3 (General Assembly Model 3) section of its Fremont, California factory where the vehicle is manufactured.
Teslarati found a series of applications filed by Tesla to build temporary tents where it plans to house Model 3 body fitting and light repairs, and which should become operational on in May of next year. The manufacturer did previously use tents to expand the part of the factory where the Model Y is produced (known as GA4.5), and even though they were initially listed as temporary, the company then decided to make them permanent – the same could (and will) probably happen with the new tents.
In another filing with the City of Fremont, Tesla also asked that it be allowed to demolish the brake and roll equipment. Presumably, the manufacturer will install different machinery in its place, most likely related to the production of the Model 3. It lists the cost of the temporary tents as $20,000, while the demolition of the brake and roll equipment and supporting electrical infrastructure it estimates will cost $75,000.
We’re pretty sure we’ve already seen the Tesla Model 3 facelift, which was spotted this weekend in Santa Cruz, California. We don’t know what it looks like, though, because its front and rear sections were completely covered by camouflage – we did spot what appeared to be either a camera or a sensor that is built into the headlights, but other than that the camouflage did a good job of hiding details.
The photos and video of the camouflaged Model 3 didn’t give us a good look inside, so we can’t tell if changes were made there, although given the fact that it didn’t appear to be hidden, we believe it wasn’t the interior that will come with the refresh. Tesla will also surely be looking to reduce the build cost per vehicle, as well as complexity, in order to improve its Model 3 profit margin.
