Is Tesla about to unveil the Model 3 Ludicrous/Plaid?
Photos of a Tesla Model 3 under wraps have the internet speculating on whether an unveiling of the anticipated Ludicrous/Plaid upgrade to the Model 3 Performance is imminent.
Tesla recently refreshed the Model 3, and with it came several upgrades. However, one missing upgrade was the availability of a performance model, which has been absent ever since the refreshed “Highland” Model 3 hit the road.
We do know that Tesla has been working on an even-higher-performance version of the Model 3 Performance. We don’t know what it will be called, but it could go by “plaid” or “ludicrous” (both references to the movie Spaceballs, which Tesla has used to name its Model S/X high-performance versions).
We’ve seen leaks in Tesla’s parts catalog showing new wheels and plaid badging, and Tesla was spotted filming a promo for a Model 3 with a plaid badge on the back. We’ve also seen a few other small leaks (a stale mention in Tesla’s website code, regulatory filings in Europe and Korea) that point us towards this upgrade being in the works.
But now we have some indication that that upgrade could be happening soon, perhaps even on as unlikely a date as today, April 1.
Photos first appeared on Little Red Book, a Chinese social media app, showing several of the new refreshed Model 3s under wraps outside an event space, potentially in Southern California.
The many covered cars outside the event are clearly refreshed Model 3s, given the low nosecone, though we can’t see much else under the covers. But there’s one car inside that we have seen before, namely, it looks like the Model 3 from the aforementioned promo.
The vehicle under wraps inside the event space has the same color and wheels as the promo vehicle did, and the wheels match up with the leak from the parts catalog.
The photos were posted by user “Imtz,” who mostly posts photos of cars and lists their location as Los Angeles/Beijing (Tesla’s Design Studio is located in Los Angeles). The post is captioned with this (machine-translated from Chinese):
Know everything Tesla 3L
Some people are guessing when and where the new Model 3P, Model 3 Ludicrous, will be launched. It can only be said that it is closer than you think. See you on the 1st.
The real car has been seen, which is much different from the old 3p and the ordinary 3. The exterior and interior have changed. It’s still worth looking forward to.
The room for the event seems quite small compared to your typical Tesla unveiling, but does seem set up for some sort of presentation. The car in question is covered, but not with a loose sheet like in many car unveilings, rather a fitted car cover. But the mirrors haven’t been stuffed into the pockets on the car cover, perhaps to make it easier to remove the cover when the car is ready to be presented.
While we haven’t heard anything official about an upcoming Tesla event, there is actually some precedent for this. We also had no official notice of the Model 3 Highland refresh unveiling, which didn’t happen on US time and wasn’t a high-attendance/livestreamed event either.
And today is also the first day of a new quarter, right after Tesla’s traditional end-of-quarter delivery rush, and before delivery numbers get announced (which should happen in the next day or two). This could be a way to build momentum at the dawn of a new quarter, especially if those numbers aren’t up to expectations.
Electrek’s Take
April 1st (or, in the case of Voltswagen, March 29th) is a terrible day to write the news, as everyone wants to be a comedian these days. Fake announcements abound, so we always have put our guards up now – even a few days prior (thanks VW).
This is especially true when talking about a company that refuses to do anything normal in terms of publicity. We’d love to talk to Tesla and ask them if these pics are real and if they’re planning an event, but there just isn’t a way to do that. So maybe they’re planning an event or maybe they aren’t, but if they are, then the press hasn’t been told about it.
So instead we have to read the tea leaves and try to figure out if this is real or not.
While it might be tempting to chalk this up to an April Fools joke – and that indeed is still possible – April Fools’ Day is rarely celebrated in China, and a post written in Chinese on a Chinese social media app seems like a less likely place to put an April Fools joke. So given the evidence available, we’d put this as slightly more likely than not to be real, but as today is today, you never know.
Do you think Tesla is about to unveil the new Model 3 Performance/Ludicrous/Plaid? What do you think it will be called? Let us know in the comments.
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Kia is extending one of its biggest promotions yet, knocking over $10,000 off every EV in its lineup.
Kia knocks $10,000 off EV models
Who said electric vehicles would get more expensive after the $7,500 federal tax credit ended? Kia must not have gotten the memo.
Last month, Kia launched a new promotion, offering a $10,000 customer cash discount for all EVs, including the EV6, EV9, and Niro EV. The discount knocks nearly 25% off MSRP on Kia’s cheapest model, the Niro EV. On the entry-level EV6, it’s 23% off MSRP, while $10,000 off the EV9 is about an 18% discount.
The discounts ended on December 1, but Kia has extended them for at least another month. During its Season of New Tradition sales event, Kia is now offering even more savings.
The 2025 Kia EV6 and Niro EV are now eligible for up to $11,000 in customer cash, including a $10,000 cash back offer and a $1,000 retail bonus cash discount.
If you’re looking for something a little bigger, the 2026 EV9, Kia’s three-row electric SUV, is available with up to $10,500 in bonus cash.
If you choose to finance, Kia is offering 0% APR for up to 72 months, plus $3,500 APR Bonus Cash on the EV6 and Niro EV. The larger EV9 is available with 0% APR for up to 60 months with a $3,000 APR Bonus Cash offer.
The 2025 Kia Niro EV and EV6 are available to lease, starting at $209 and $309 per month for 24 months. The 2026 EV9 is listed with monthly leases starting at $419.
The new sales event comes after Hyundai extended its EV promotions, keeping the IONIQ 5 as one of the most affordable EV leases in the US, starting at just $189 per month.
Kia’s Seasons of New Traditions sales event runs until January 2, 2026. Some deals may vary by region. You can see offers near you by using the links at the bottom.
Interested in test-driving one for yourself? We can help see what’s available in your area. Check out our links below to find Kia and Hyundai EVs near you.
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New Holland’s already excellent C314 mini track loader is even better for 2026 thanks to the debut of a new, all electric version that offers quiet, low maintenance, and emission-free running for round-the-clock operation.
State and federal governments may still be hashing out emissions laws and ZEV requirements, but it’s the municipal governments that write quiet our laws and noise ordinances, and it’s those laws that construction crews are struggling to work around as they bid for lucrative urban jobs. New Holland understands those construction customers’ needs, and its new C314X Electric mini track loader (announced at last month’s Agritechnica) is designed specifically for them.
“We launched the C314 two years ago, and it has become known for its excellent features,” says Francesca Asteggiano, Europe Construction Brands. “Today, we’re developing an electric version to meet growing demand for quieter, more compact machines — reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and innovation.”
C314X Electric
New Holland’s C314X Electric is designed and built in-house as the zero-emission evolution of the diesel-powered C314, and is powered by a 23.5 kWh li-ion battery that sends power to three electric motors — two drive motors and a single hydraulic motor for the boom.
The company says the new C314X has a rated operating capacity that matches the diesel unit at 460 kg (~1014 lbs.) and a hinge pin height of 2.2 m (~7.2 ft.).
Though still “just a prototype” at this point, CASE and New Holland products have a history of making it to production. If when it does, company reps say it will be available in two undercarriage configurations, a “narrow track” version 890 mm wide that can fit through garden gates and man doors, and wide track version 1026 mm wide for heavier duty outdoor and agricultural work.
The stand-on machine uses controls that will be familiar to any mini loader operator — especially those with experience behind the controls of the diesel C314 — and all the implements and attachments that work on the diesel version bolt up to the C314X Electric, making it ideal (the company says) for livestock and horticultural farmers, landscape contractors and residential construction operations, thanks to multiple compatible attachments to ensure full versatility to dig, load, drill, and more.
Stay tuned for pricing and availability, likely set to be announced during ConExpo 2026.
SOURCE | IMAGES: New Holland.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla allowing texting and driving on FSD v14, Trump killing CAFE’s MPG standard, an Aptera update, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
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