Skip to main content

Tesla Model 3 “leaks”, lets debunk them

The excitement around the upcoming unveiling of the Tesla Model 3 is at an all-time high and even though we are less than two weeks away from the event, some people can’t wait and are yearning for leaks.

Unfortunately, it is leading to a multitude of fake leaks recently, whether intentional or not. Most are simply confused by amateur renderings simply trying to envision the Model 3, which we already covered, but here I attempt to debunk a few more that are popping up this week.

Just yesterday we saw the fake mock-up claimed to be from a Tesla insider, but the company was quick to confirm it’s not a Model 3 so we can put it behind us.

The one that keeps coming back today is a bit more tricky, but it is definitely not a Model 3.

If you follow Tesla’s message boards or Twitter feeds these days, you might see this picture pop up:

“Can this be it?” 

It looks like a Model S, but it might be too tall, or it looks like a Model X, but without the same fascia… Which one is it?

Model X with a nosecone front-end. That’s it.

The image is a cropped screenshot from this video taken during the Model X launch in September 2015:

The vehicle looks a bit distorted because of the angle of the shot, but there’s no way Tesla had a Model 3 at the launch party of the Model X. It’s either an earlier Model X prototype, which had a nosecone, or Tesla had newer prototypes made with a nosecone because it wasn’t sure which fascia it wanted to go with until the last-minute. Who knows?

“This is not the Model S so it has to be the Model 3! Right?”

This one is obvious for long-time Tesla fans, but if you have only been following Tesla for the past few years, you have good reasons to think this might not be a Model S. The front-end looks a lot sharper and the badge in the indented front fender is completely different.

Being a moderator of Tesla’s Reddit forum, I’ve seen this posted several times in the past few weeks from people jumping to the conclusion that it has to be a Model 3.

But no, it’s an early Model S prototype which has seen several iterations before its production launch in 2012.

The Model 3 silhouette!

Since Tesla sent out the invites for the Model 3 unveiling, people have been claiming that Tesla leaked the front silhouette of the Model 3 in its promotional image.

A quick overlay shows that it is a 1:1 match of the Model S picture right next to it:

Even publications like Bloomberg are claiming that it is the Model 3’s silhouette.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk repeatedly said that the Model 3 will be about 20% smaller than the Model S. Now of course it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be visible from the front of the car, but it is even more unlikely that their front silhouette will match 1:1.

It is much more likely that Tesla simply blacked out the Model S front for the purpose of the promotional image.

If you find any other alleged leaks, please send it our way and we will try to debunk them 🙂 Anyway, we will all be able to see the Model 3 soon enough.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

  1. Trev Page - 8 years ago

    Tesla designs their cars at their design studio in Hawthorne, right beside the SpaceX factory. It’s a very tight-security facility and where all their product introductions are done. Model 3 design hasn’t leaked because it’s never left the design studio and there are very few employees and no cell phones are allowed. Even visitors are required to surrender their cell phones and also not allowed to video anything, including the lobby.

  2. Nick - 8 years ago

    I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas to arrive! The wait is painful.

  3. Walt - 8 years ago

    Can’t imagine the wrath of Musk upon whomever he determined leaked whatever. Might parallel Jobs.

  4. getalife - 8 years ago

    all this frenzy over the inevitable. two weeks people. and if you all can’t really wait that long have a persuasive word with a confirmed non tesla employee who has actually seen the car: tim urban @waitbutwhy, although i doubt any such efforts would prove fruitful with him either.

  5. Noz - 8 years ago

    Man I sincerely hope the 3 doesn’t look like the rest of granny designs.

  6. Pacte d'associes - 8 years ago

    I don’t know why I don’t like the designs if you compare to classical luxury and sports cars.

Author

Avatar for Fred Lambert Fred Lambert

Fred is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at Electrek.

You can send tips on Twitter (DMs open) or via email: fred@9to5mac.com

Through Zalkon.com, you can check out Fred’s portfolio and get monthly green stock investment ideas.