Did Tesla just release a photo of the interior of the Robotaxi?

In a video posted yesterday on X by a Tesla investor, you could see a quick look at what is supposed to be the interior of the Robotaxi. The image only appears on screen for a split second, but thanks to an eagle-eyed reader, we now have our first look at the Robotaxi’s interior.

It appears to have a two-seater interior, no steering wheel, and a large center console. The doors look similar to the photo of the Robotaxi concept revealed in Elon Musk’s 2023 biography. It also matches almost exactly the prototype Franz von Holzhausen worked on in a film that aired on CBS last year.

The sharp angles of the interior also blend well with the vehicle’s official name, Cybercab.

Robotaxi App

Tesla recently revealed its Robotaxi app, showing off a very simplified interface that lets you hail a taxi, see its progress, and set the music and vibe for the vehicle. In a video on the X, Tesla showed off a short clip of the Robotaxi app in action. While the short clip doesn’t reveal anything new, it’s the first time the app has been shown on video.

Here’s a quick preview of Tesla’s upcoming ride-hailing app, which was revealed in a shareholder video today. photo: twitter.com/oM7MKNaOvz

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 21, 2024

Robotaxi Announcement

Robotaxi will be officially presented on August 8^twhich was a little over three months ago. While Tesla has previously hinted that Robotaxi would take a back seat to the launch of its $25,000 next-generation model, we could see Tesla announce more specific timelines, Robotaxi-specific features, and full interior and exterior previews in August.

Tesla’s newest Quicksilver paint color, recently launched in the United States for the Model Y Long Range and Performance models, is set to soon expand to the Model 3 in North America.

Tesla teased the new Model 3 color option on social media, stating, “Quicksilver for Model 3 is available now in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East — other markets coming soon.”

The Model X and Model S have an older but similar Lunar Silver paint option available, but it’s unclear if Quicksilver will also be available on those models.

Musk has previously spoken about why Tesla has a limited number of paint colors, and like most things Tesla, it comes down to cost. When Tesla decides to offer a new paint color, it basically has to support that color for years to come.

Tesla introduced Quicksilver and Midnight Cherry Red in Europe about three months ago for vehicles manufactured at Giga Berlin. There is no word yet on the replacement of Ultra Red in North America with the new Midnight Cherry Red.

Yesterday, Tesla began selling the long-range version of the Model 3 in the U.S. Thanks to government incentives that don’t apply to the cheaper version, the new Model 3 becomes Tesla’s most affordable and longest-range (363 miles) Model 3, starting at $34,990 after government incentives.

Comparison of metallic silver with mercury

Tesla used to offer the Model 3 in a “Silver Metallic” color, but discontinued it in 2018. The new Quicksilver color is a much darker, grayer shade than the silver. The new, darker silver color matches the Tesla’s black finish better, while the Silver Metallic matched the Tesla’s chrome finish well. The video below compares the Silver Metallic paint color to the Quicksilver available on the Model Y.

Quicksilver now available in Canada

In Canada, the Quicksilver option is available on the Model Y Long Range and Performance starting today. More options are likely to follow in the coming months, as color options for Canadian vehicles are dictated by what’s being built at Giga Shanghai for the Model 3 and Model Y and Giga Texas and Fremont for the Model S and Model X.

Tesla has brought back the Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, which starts at $42,490. However, because of the batteries in the Long Range model, it qualifies for the $7,500 federal EV rebate. This makes the new model the cheapest model in Tesla’s lineup after the federal rebate, which is effective at the point of sale.

After the federal rebate, the price for this model is $34,990, which is exactly $4,000 less than the standard RWD model with the smaller LFP battery.

Improved range

The Long Range RWD version has a range of 363 miles (compared to 341 miles for AWD and 272 miles for regular RWD) and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds (compared to 4.2 seconds for AWD). This makes the new Long Range RWD Model 3 the longest fuel-efficient Tesla vehicle (Model 3/Model Y). The Model S AWD has an EPA-estimated range of 402 miles.

Apart from the lack of a front engine, which would make it easier to traverse rough or slippery terrain, and the quicker 0-100 km/h acceleration, the Long Range RWD is a fantastic option for most people.

It’s worth noting that only the Long Range AWD model can unlock Tesla’s Acceleration Boost feature, which increases power and reduces the vehicle’s 0-100 km/h acceleration time by about half a second.

Availability

Currently, the Model 3 Long Range RWD is available only in the United States. It is not available in Canada.