As we countdown to Tesla’s product announcement, scheduled for later today at 5pm Pacific, and speculate on what CEO Elon Musk will unveil, the billionaire entrepreneur has dropped a major hint – we’ll be seeing something related to Model 3 “part 2”.
@elonmusk This is also what I was alluding to by Model 3 part 2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 19, 2016
There’s been widespread speculation that the company would reveal something to further enhance its Autopilot suite of features, especially after a series of bad press following the first fatality involving a driver behind the wheel of a Model S while using Autopilot.
Tesla would later release a new version of Autopilot under its 8.0 software update that placed primary emphasis on the onboard radar – a technology that allowed its Model S and Model X to better react to sudden stops by being able to see two cars ahead.
Rumors of a new “triple camera” has also been floating around after leaks of an electrical schematic outlining circuits responsible for three separate fields of camera vision – main, narrow and wide angle.
Having an announcement related to the Model 3 couldn’t have come at a better time. Following yesterday’s report that new buyers of the Model 3 would have to wait another 2 years or more before taking delivery, the reveal of a new feature set – a key differentiator that sets Model 3 apart from the Chevy Bolt and other upcoming affordable long range all-electric vehicles – could be the catalyst Tesla needs to maintain its market position and secure another 100k+ reservations.
Tune in at 5pm today to see what the company will finally unveil. We’ll be highlighting what’s revealed from the press Q&A.
