Tesla Model 3 refresh is rumored to feature steer-by-wire, RGB lights, and more
A new report claims that the Tesla Model 3 refresh, or “Project Highland,” will feature steer-by-wire, RGB lights, and more.
Late last year, we started hearing rumors that Tesla was working on a Model 3 refresh that would arrive during the second half of 2023. The project is reportedly codenamed “Project Highland.”
In December, a Model 3 prototype with heavy camouflage was spotted being tested in California. Another prototype was spotted shortly after as Tesla is expected to be closer to releasing the vehicle.
With the heavy camouflage on the front and back of those prototypes, it has been hard to identify any specific change to the Model 3. But in April, the first picture of the new Model 3 without camouflage leaked, giving us our first proper look at the upcoming refresh.
Beyond the visibly updated exterior and an expectation that the refresh will feature Tesla’s new Hardware 4.0 self-driving tech, there isn’t much known about the Model 3 refresh.
Teslascope, a third-party companion app for Tesla owners, claims to have new information about the Model 3 refresh based on alleged discussions with Tesla employees.
The report claims that the refresh is more significant than what was seen in recent sightings. It even alleges that the new model will feature a steer-by-wire system:
Electrek recently reported on Tesla applying for a patent on a new steer-by-wire system.
Teslascope also claims the refresh will feature the new matrix LED lights recently seen on Model S/X, along with RGB ambient lights.
The report claims it will also feature a new bumper camera:
The rest of the report is a bit vaguer but mentions better audio and more comfortable seats. There’s no indication of when the car will launch or at what price.
Electrek’s Take
I’d take this with a grain of salt, especially since the information is a mix of precise new details and vague possible changes, but a lot of it sounds very plausible to me.
Steer-by-wire would be the biggest news here, and it’s not impossible since it is expected to arrive in the Cybertruck, which is nearing launch.
What change are you most excited about in the new Model 3? Let us know in the comment section below.
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ChargePoint is rolling out a new program called “Safeguard Care” to ensure its EV chargers stay online. The service proactively sends trained technicians into the field to routinely check ChargePoint stations – before things go wrong.
These technicians inspect the chargers, clean them, repair what they can on-site, and run a test charge to ensure everything works before they leave. If they come across something they can’t fix, the issue gets escalated to ChargePoint’s support team for follow-up.
“As the original manufacturer of the chargers, we are able to ensure the highest standards of service and support,” said JD Singh, ChargePoint’s chief customer experience officer. “With Safeguard Care, ChargePoint is giving station owners and EV drivers peace of mind knowing that chargers will be in pristine working order.”
The service, which is starting in five launch markets across the US (ChargePoint hasn’t said which ones, and I’ll update if it answers me), is in addition to ChargePoint Assure, its existing hardware and software monitoring system. It benefits high-traffic charging sites like parking garages, office buildings, and public charging hubs, especially ones that don’t have a dedicated on-site maintenance crew.
This move is part of ChargePoint’s broader effort to make public EV charging more reliable. In recent months, the company has introduced anti-vandalism upgrades and more proactive monitoring tools. But Safeguard Care marks an interesting shift toward proactive, rather than reactive, boots-on-the-ground support. Technicians usually aren’t dispatched until the EV charger software sends a notification to support that something’s gone wrong. I’ll be curious to see if this new in-person approach makes a difference with EV charger reliability.
Read more: The US added 4,200 new DC fast charging ports, and that’s just Q2
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PayPal reported better-than-expected results for the second quarter and raised its full-year guidance for transaction margin dollars and earnings per share. The stock slipped more than 4% following the report.
Here’s how the company did compared with Wall Street estimates, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: $1.40 adjusted vs. $1.30 expected
- Revenue: $8.29 billion vs. $8.08 billion expected
Sales increased 5% from $7.89 billion a year earlier, as CEO Alex Chriss worked to roll off lower-margin revenue streams.
Transaction margin dollars, a key measure of profitability, rose 7% to $3.84 billion, marking the company’s sixth straight quarter of growth.
Growth in that metric slowed sequentially, down from 8% in the first quarter when excluding a one-time benefit that boosted results earlier this year. Branded checkout volumes also slowed to 5%, compared with 6% in the first quarter when adjusted for Leap Day.
Total payment volume, an indication of how digital payments are faring in the broader economy, beat estimates, coming in at $443.6 billion, compared with the $433.6 billion analysts had projected, according to StreetAccount. The number of active accounts rose 2% to 438 million, versus expectations of 437.8 million.
PayPal shares are nearly 10% lower so far this year.
PayPal shares have fallen 8.4% for the year, as of Monday’s close, while the Nasdaq is up about 10% in 2025.
Venmo revenue grew more than 20% from a year earlier, following a 20% jump in the first quarter, though the company didn’t provide a dollar figure. Total payment volume for Venmo increased 12%, its highest growth rate in three years.
Chriss has focused on better monetizing key acquisitions such as Braintree and Venmo. DoorDash, Starbucks and Ticketmaster are among businesses now accepting Venmo as one way consumers can pay.
“We delivered another quarter of profitable growth, driven by continued strength across many of our strategic initiatives ranging from PayPal and Venmo branded experiences” to acting as payment service provider and other services, Chriss said in the statement.
For the third quarter, PayPal forecast adjusted earnings per share of $1.18 to $1.22, compared with the average analyst estimate of $1.20. Transaction margin dollars are expected to increase 4% to between $3.76 billion and $3.82 billion, the company said.
Ahead of PayPal’s earnings, some analysts had struck a cautiously optimistic tone. Goldman Sachs noted that branded checkout growth was likely to improve sequentially to around 6%, up from 4% in the first quarter.
Morgan Stanley pointed to stronger e-commerce data and progress on PayPal’s checkout initiatives. Advanced integrations are now live at 45% of U.S. merchants, up from 30% in December, and are expected to help branded checkout volumes reaccelerate. The bank also flagged ongoing momentum in Braintree volumes.
PayPal now expects full-year adjusted earnings per share of $5.15 to $5.30, up from its prior forecast of $4.95 to $5.10. While third-quarter guidance is roughly inline with expectations, the updated outlook implies a stronger fourth quarter. The company also projects free cash flow of $6 billion to $7 billion for the year.
WATCH: PayPal’s crypto lead on allowing merchants to buy and sell virtual assets
Electric bikes are booming in popularity in just about every demographic in the US. From teens riding to school all the way to elderly folks getting back on a bicycle for the first time in years, electric bikes are becoming ubiquitous. But as speeds and power levels have increased, Connecticut is responding with new laws.
Westport Police Lt. Serenity Dobson recently spoke to CTInsider about the phenomenon of more teens riding their e-bikes to school instead of being driven by their parents. “The whole entire bike rack is filled with these bikes that look like electric dirt bikes.”
Moped-style e-bikes have become increasingly popular with teens, with companies like Super73 ushering in a new wave of electric bikes with design cues borrowed from classic mopeds of decades past.
But Dobson says that these e-bikes are too easily modifiable, increasing speed and motor power past acceptable limits.
“These bikes come stock at 30 mph, but you can cut the controller, and so then they can go 60, 70 mph, and the kids know how to do this,” Dobson said, adding that there has been a “huge increase in middle school-aged kids” riding e-bikes, particularly in the summer when school is out. “There are a lot of YouTube videos where it can show you how easy it is for someone to modify it.”
It’s not clear that such speeds are actually capable on stock parts from nearly any electric bicycle, and legal electric bikes are not capable of exceeding either 20 or 28 mph, depending on their classification, but Dobson may be referring to Sur Ron-style electric motorbikes, which are off-road electric motorcycles that look like small dirt bikes.
Connecticut already uses the common three-class system that codifies legal e-bikes as up to 20 mph (32 km/h) and 750W (one horsepower) for Class 1 and 2, or up to 28 mph (45 km/h) for Class 3 e-bikes.
But now the state is updating its e-bike laws, adding that any e-bike with over 750W of power will be considered a “motor-driven cycle” and require a driver’s license. Over 3,500W? That will be considered a motorcycle and require a motorcycle endorsement to legally ride, as well as registration and insurance like a motorcycle.
The new laws are expected to come into effect in October.
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