Tesla Model 3 Highland ‘showroom’ EVs seen in New Zealand

The first upgraded new Model 3s have landed in New Zealand, with a picture of three taken on a car transporter shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a Tesla community member (Matt Cochrane), The Driven.io reports.

It says Tesla unveiled its new 2024 Tesla Model 3 in September with a launch in Europe while orders for the new model opened in Australia and New Zealand, well ahead of Tesla’s home market in the US.

So what distinguishes the new “Highland” from other Model 3s?

“The vehicle loaded on the top deck of the transporter has the 18-inch wheels found on the new Model 3. Tesla calls these ‘Photon Wheels’ which are generally covered with aerocap covers for efficiency on the road,” says The Driven.io.

“The vehicle on the lower deck has not only the new 19-inch wheels which Tesla calls ‘Nova Wheels’. Slimmer lights can also be seen on this particular example which are found on the upgraded car.”

The new Model 3 is also described as “sleeker” and more aerodynamic by The Driven.io which expects the new Teslas will soon be in New Zealand showrooms with customer deliveries forecast to start in December and the upgraded Model 3s likely to be in Australia soon too.

Tesla has been preparing its Shanghai factory for Highland Model 3 production for some time, and tested prototypes here earlier.