- Drone footage reveals Tesla is benchmarking different automakers’ EVs.
- Two are very doubtless Polestar 3s, and one other two are most likely Volvos whereas the lined sedan could possibly be an Audi E-Tron GT.
- Seeing Tesla benchmark a gaggle of competing automobiles is uncommon because it was the OEMs that have been benchmarking Teslas.
Tesla may be very completely different from the normal automakers, however in a single key approach it’s precisely the identical: it buys rivals’ automobiles to benchmark them and reverse-engineer their improvements. A current drone video reveals eight automobiles beneath white tarps parked in a line outdoors the Fremont, CA manufacturing unit check monitor, and sure that none of them are Teslas.
The drone video uploaded by Met God in Wilderness (and noticed by Electrek) reveals eight automobiles lined by white tarps. Seven of them are crossovers, and one appears like a low-slung automotive, probably a sedan or a fastback. Upon nearer inspection, no less than two of the crossovers are positively 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 in addition seem extra squared off within the rear in comparison with a Tesla Mannequin Y.
It will 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 automotive, our greatest guess is that it could possibly be an Audi E-Tron GT or a Porsche Taycan, each of which have been refreshed this 12 months with much more energy, vary and greater 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 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 shall be used to underpin a number of future automobiles. The primary of those is a crossover presently solely often known as Challenge Redwood, however Tesla would doubtless do a greater job of conserving a Redwood prototype out of sight. The identical platform will doubtless underpin the Mannequin S substitute if one is even coming, however we doubt that’s the automotive beneath the tarp.
The truth that all these lined 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 change into a lot stiffer over the previous couple of years, and the EV section is barely going to get extra aggressive. Again in April 2022, a Lucid Air was noticed doing laps of the Fremont check monitor totally uncovered.
Automakers do that all the time; this 12 months alone, the InsideEVs workers has seen a couple of Chinese language EVs on the services of Detroit’s Large Three automakers.
Nonetheless, that was one of many uncommon cases when Tesla was caught benchmarking one other producer’s automotive. It was normally the opposite approach round: different producers have been seen benchmarking Teslas, drawing information for their very own EV tasks. Nonetheless, 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 least shocking.
