It certainly looks like Tesla is about to unveil the Model 3 Ludicrous tonight
Photos of an upgraded and rebadged Tesla Model 3 outside a Tesla store have us thinking that an unveiling of the anticipated Ludicrous 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) – though we’re leaning towards ludicrous, and think Tesla will keep plaid for its high-end Model S designation.
We’ve seen leaks in Tesla’s parts catalog showing new wheels and badging, and Tesla was spotted filming a promo for a Model 3 with a badge on the back. The badge resembles the plaid badging on the current Model S, but does look a little different, so the model could go by either designation.
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, last night showing several of the new refreshed Model 3s under wraps outside an event space, potentially in Southern California (Update: we’ve since found out it is the Tesla Malibu showroom, see below).
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.
Update: An unwrapped Model 3 with the new badging and wheels has been spotted in Malibu, with a private event supposedly happening at the Malibu Tesla showroom tonight. Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen’s Cybertruck is also parked at the location.
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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VW’s retro-tastic minivan hasn’t been the sales success the company might have wanted, and a lot of that has to do with the van’s sky high price tag. Now, VW is asking: will a $10,000 discount be enough to create some buzz for the ID.Buzz?
Volkswagen is offering $7,500 in Retail Customer Bonus cash this month – up from the $2,500 the company offered its Black Friday customers – that, along with an additional $2,500 unadvertised dealer cash incentive that CarsDirect is reporting absolutely, definitely exists, adds up to a stout $10,000 total discount on the all-electric VW ID.Buzz … and that’s before you start haggling with your dealer over the MSRP.
It’s a lot
As much as I like the the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, its starting MSRP around $61,545 (incl. destination) puts it at nearly twice what you’d probably expect a minivan to cost if the last time you shopped for one was at a Dodge store. Still, that hefty price tag is some $20,000 higher than the baseline Toyota Sienna hybrid or Honda Odyssey.
That 50% higher price is a lot to swallow even if you do buy into the nostalgia. Still, the ID.Buzz is capable enough, and with ~230 miles of range and 282 hp on offer from its battery/electric motor combo – plus Supercharger access – it’s at least able to keep up with the minivan competition.
So, while that $10,000 discount isn’t going to turn the ID.Buzz into the second coming of the affordable, family-hauling Caravan, it does bring VW’s electric people-mover a little closer to earth. In fact, with a $50K price tag, it’s right in line with the average transaction price of a new vehicles. So, if nothing else, that reduced price could finally gives electric minivan buyers something to buzz about (I tried so hard to work that in, you guys).
If you’ve been shopping for a family-hauler and dig the retro vibe over something like the (excellent) Kia EV9, click through the link below and set up a test drive at your local VW dealer.
SOURCE: CarsDirect; images via VW.
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Peterbilt has jumped into the MD truck ring with the launch three new medium-duty electric trucks that deliver zero-emissions power, ultra-fast 350 kW charging, and proven, versatile platforms for delivery, utility service, and vocational upfitting.
The new Peterbilt 536EV, 537EV, and 548EV medium-duty trucks slot into the same versatile medium-duty segments the company’s fleets already know, but swap diesel power for latest PACCAR ePowertrain, with up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque available at 0 rpm. That big motor draws power from a variety of LFP battery packs and be fitted with ePTO options rated for either 25 kW (two-battery option) or 150 kW (three-battery option), making them suitable for that can be sized for daily delivery routes, urban utility work, and municipal fleets looking to cut both emissions and maintenance costs.
What’s more, the new Peterbilt’s flexible architecture allows for integration with existing PACCAR suspension bits to make 4×2 and 6×4 configurations, and any wheelbase of 163 inches or longer, and up to 82,000 lbs. gross combined weight ratings possible.
“[The new trucks are] optimized for the demands of the medium duty segment, the next generation of Peterbilt electric vehicles deliver excellent efficiency, rapid charging and versatile configurations elevating customer productivity across a wide range of applications,” said Erik Johnson, Peterbilt assistant general manager, Sales & Marketing.
In addition to all those goodies, the PACCAR EV tech continues to be top-notch, with the previously-mentioned 350 kW charging, regenerative braking, and industry-leading ergonomics.
Peterbilt’s new MDEVs ship with a blue accented crown and grille for a distinctive exterior look, as well as EV-exclusive panels on the side of the hood. The interior design features laser-etched trim panels on the EV-exclusive Magneto Gray interior, just in case the driver in the quiet, smooth, and stink-free cabin forgets they’re in an electric truck.
Electrek’s Take
Ignore the headlines. The death of the commercial EV market simply hasn’t happened, and won’t happen any time soon.
If you believe the engineers and analysts at MAN Trucks and Orange EV (and, you should), an EV like this can pay for itself in reduced fuel and maintenance costs even without incentives, then you should already know what I’m about to say: the future of trucking is 100% electric.
SOURCE | IMAGES: PACCAR.
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Subaru’s smaller, more affordable Uncharted EV will be among the few electric vehicles with a starting price of under $35,000.
2026 Subaru Uncharted EV prices and range by trim
The 2026 Subaru Uncharted EV will join the Nissan LEAF, Toyota bZ, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and Chevy Equinox as one of the few new EVs on sale in the US for under $35,000.
It will be the most affordable electric vehicle in Subaru’s lineup, sitting below the Solterra and Trailseeker SUVs, starting at just $34,995.
The Uncharted will be available in three trims: Premium FWD, Sport, and GT. Subaru said the entry-level Uncharted Premium FWD variant will be “offered in limited numbers.” It draws power from a single 221 hp electric motor and 74.4 kWh battery pack, providing over 300 miles of range.
All trims use the same 74.7 kWh battery pack, but the Sport and GT models feature Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD, which slightly reduces driving range.
The Sport and GT variants deliver 285 miles and 270 miles of range, respectively. The AWD system packs a combined 338 hp, which Subaru boasted “is more than the Hyundai Kona EV and Kia Niro EV.”
Like the new 2026 Trailseeker and Solterra, the Uncharted EV has a battery preconditioning system that boosts charging performance in cold weather. With charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the electric SUV can recharge from 10% to 80% in around 28 minutes.
All 2026 Subaru Uncharted EV models will feature a built-in NACS port, enabling access to over 25,000 Tesla Superchargers across the US.
Although the Uncharted is nearly 7″ shorter than the Solterra, it still offers more than 25 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row.
The interior features the brand’s updated design with a 14″ Subaru Multimedia System that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Starting at $34,995, the entry-level Premium FWD trim includes EyeSight driver-assist features such as Pre-Collision Braking, Front Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitors, Lane Departure Alert, Emergency Stop Assist, Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, and a distraction mitigation system.
| 2026 Subaru Uncharted EV trim | Starting Price* |
| Uncharted Premium FWD | $34,995 |
| Uncharted Sport | $39,795 |
| Uncharted GT | $43,795 |
Eco and Snow drive modes are standard, plus an All-Weather Package is included with heated front seats, heated power exterior mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer.
Upgrading to the Sport and GT variants, starting at $39,795 and $43,795, respectively, adds an uprated powertrain and Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.
The 2026 Subaru Uncharted EV is expected to begin arriving at dealerships across the US in early 2026. It will join the new 2026 Trailseeker and Solterra as the lowest-priced EV in Subaru’s lineup.
With the new Uncharted and Trailseeker SUVs coming soon, Subaru is offering closeout prices on 2026 Solterra models with 0% APR financing on all trims and leases as low as $299 a month. If you’re looking to test drive one for yourself, you can use our link to find Subaru Solterra models in your area.
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