Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🚗 Fleet of Tesla Model 3 “Highland” vehicles spotted in high-temperature testing in Xinjiang.
- 🚀 The Model 3 “Highland” is a facelifted version with design updates and potential production by end of September.
- 🛠️ High-temperature testing in extreme conditions helps stabilize battery chemistry and assess vehicle performance.
- 🚚 Reports suggest intensive deliveries of Model 3 “Highland” by end of September in China.
- 🇨🇳 China likely initial destination for the updated Model 3, highlighting Tesla’s focus on the Chinese market.
- 📈 Impressive insurance registrations in China, indicating strong demand for Tesla’s vehicles, especially the Model Y.
- ⏰ Sales of Model 3 sedan in China may be tempered as buyers await the updated “Highland” version.
- 📆 Tesla China likely to start delivering Model 3’s Project Highlandupdate soon, adding to sales figures.
- 🔧 Tesla China taking reservations for updated Model 3, with customers opting for the upcoming Project Highland version.
A fleet of Tesla Model 3 “Highland” cars was captured undergoing high-temperature testing in Xinjiang today, possibly indicating that the vehicle is moving closer to its production phase with initial deliveries potentially scheduled by the end of September.
The Model 3 “Highland” signifies Tesla’s updated iteration of the popular mass-market sedan initially introduced in 2017. Over the past year, Tesla has been in the process of refreshing the Model 3’s design. Leaked images showcased a reimagined front-end appearance featuring new headlights, a revised front grille, and other enhancements such as updated wheels. Originally, there were indications that this vehicle would launch in the United States, as evidenced by filings from Tesla’s Fremont Factory in Northern California, where the vehicle’s initial development was reportedly undertaken last summer.
However, recent developments suggest that China is poised to be the inaugural market for the debut of the Highland Model 3. This conclusion gains support as we gather further evidence pointing towards an initial launch in China.
Reports indicate that Tesla Model 3 Highland units were witnessed undergoing high-temperature testing in Xinjiang, as disclosed by CarNewsChina, which drew upon images shared by insider source 不看车.
We have previously reported on high-temp testing and the strenuous regimen Tesla puts its vehicles through for this type of assessment.
In May, the automaker showed its lineup undergoing extreme high-temperature testing in the United Arab Emirates. Each of its EV models was subjected to temperatures well above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The process helps ensure the vehicle’s battery chemistry is stabilized, as well as tests energy efficiency and the effectiveness of the drivetrain, motors, and occupant cooling systems.
MODEL 3 HIGHLAND COMING SOON
It seems Tesla is moving toward deliveries soon. A report from Chinese media outlet 36kr indicates several people familiar with the Highland project said the vehicle will be delivered “intensively” at the end of September.
This aligns with a similar report put out by Bloomberg earlier this month that said Tesla is planning to transport showroom models “in the latter part of August.” Mass production is slated for soon thereafter, and a ramp-up will begin on September 30.
Other reports from China indicated similar timelines for the vehicle.
Tesla’s new Model 3 Highland is expected to help accelerate the automaker’s sales figures in China once again. The country is heavily saturated with a number of EV competitors that rival the Model 3 and other cars in Tesla’s lineup.
