- Drone footage exhibits Tesla is benchmarking different automakers’ EVs.
- Two are very seemingly Polestar 3s, and one other two are in all probability Volvos whereas the coated sedan might be an Audi E-Tron GT.
- Seeing Tesla benchmark a bunch of competing automobiles is uncommon because it was once the OEMs that have been benchmarking Teslas.
Tesla may be very completely different from the standard automakers, however in a single key approach it’s precisely the identical: it buys opponents’ automobiles to benchmark them and reverse-engineer their improvements. A latest drone video exhibits eight automobiles underneath white tarps parked in a line outdoors the Fremont, CA manufacturing facility check monitor, and sure that none of them are Teslas.
The drone video uploaded by Met God in Wilderness (and noticed by Electrek) exhibits eight automobiles coated by white tarps. Seven of them are crossovers, and one appears to be like like a low-slung automobile, presumably a sedan or a fastback. Upon nearer inspection, at the least two of the crossovers are undoubtedly look like Polestar 3s, based mostly on the form of their roof.
One other two may be Volvo EC40s, which have a extra pronounced fastback-like rear finish but additionally seem extra squared off within the rear in comparison with a Tesla Mannequin Y.
It might make sense to have automobiles from each Volvo and Polestar, which use the identical platforms and powertrains in several automobiles. Relating to the low-slung automobile, our greatest guess is that it might be an Audi E-Tron GT or a Porsche Taycan, each of which have been refreshed this yr with much more energy, vary and larger batteries.
We don’t suppose any of the crossovers are the Mannequin Y “Juniper” refresh since that gained’t change the form of the physique to such an extent. The rear finish appears to be like much more sq. than the tapering fastback-like roof of both the Mannequin Y or Mannequin X.
Tesla is reportedly engaged on a new platform internally designated NV9X, which might be used to underpin a number of future automobiles. The primary of those is a crossover at the moment solely often known as Mission Redwood, however Tesla would seemingly do a greater job of preserving a Redwood prototype out of sight. The identical platform will seemingly underpin the Mannequin S alternative if one is even coming, however we doubt that’s the automobile underneath the tarp.
The truth that all these coated automobiles have been noticed subsequent to the check monitor additional strengthens the concept they have been introduced there for benchmarking functions. Tesla is probably going analyzing the competitors, which has turn into a lot stiffer over the previous few years, and the EV section is just going to get extra aggressive. Again in April 2022, a Lucid Air was noticed doing laps of the Fremont check monitor absolutely uncovered.
Automakers do that the entire time; this yr alone, the InsideEVs employees has seen just a few Chinese language EVs on the services of Detroit’s Large Three automakers.
Nevertheless, that was one of many uncommon cases when Tesla was caught benchmarking one other producer’s automobile. It was often the opposite approach round: different producers have been seen benchmarking Teslas, drawing information for their very own EV initiatives. Nevertheless, now that so many producers are producing EVs that not solely rival however even surpass Tesla’s personal, seeing the tables flip isn’t in the slightest degree shocking.
