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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Environment
Tesla is starting to have Model Y inventory in the US again, ramps up incentives in China/Europe
Tesla is starting to replenish its Model Y inventory in the US after the design changeover, and it is ramping up incentives in China and Europe, suggesting that demand issues persist despite the new Model Y’s introduction.
After Tesla’s disastrous first quarter, shareholders attempted to blame the company’s issues on the transition to the new Model Y, which resulted in limited supply and buyers delaying their deliveries.
There’s no doubt that it impacted Tesla’s performance in Q1, but there were also other clear demand issues.
The automaker stated that it successfully resumed Model Y production to normal levels in record time. Therefore, Model Y supply can’t be blamed going forward and there are reasons to be concerned.
Earlier this month, we reported that Tesla was already able to deliver new Model Y on the same day in the US and was operating a sort of shadow inventory without actually listing new inventory Model Y.
Now, Tesla has officially started to add new inventory Model Ys in the US – confirming that it doesn’t have a backlog of orders for the updated vehicle:
It’s challenging to determine the exact number of new Model Y vehicles Tesla has in stock.
The website Tesla-Info tracks new vehicle listings in the US, but Tesla only lists configurations available in specific markets. After depleting the inventory of the older version of the Model Y in late March, Tesla is now listing 93 new Model Ys in the US:
However, for any of those listings, there could be several Model Ys in inventory, especially considering that Tesla currently has a limited number of options for the new Model Ys.
Tesla’s Model Y configurations also lists most configurations as being available today in most major US markets. This again points to Tesla having no order backlog for the brand-new vehicle.
At least, Tesla has yet to introduce incentives to sell the vehicle in the US, but it does in other markets.
We previously reported that Tesla quickly introduced 0% financing for the new Model Y in China. The incentive was initially scheduled to end this month, but Tesla has now extended it through June 30th, the end of the quarter.
Tesla is having even more issues in Europe, where its sales are crashing. The automaker is also struggling to sell some older Model Ys from its inventory.
Tesla produced about 30,000 more vehicles than it delivered in the first quarter, and it increased its inventory by $1.7 billion.
Electrek’s Take
Some people think that I’m happy to see this, but they couldn’t be more wrong. I’m just emphasizing it because recognizing the problem is the first step toward fixing it, and I want it to be fixed.
The biggest EV automaker failing is not good for EV adoption, and Tesla is going in that direction.
Tesla shareholders need to recognize that the Model Y refresh is not saving Tesla. Sales have been declining since last year, while electric vehicle (EV) sales continue to increase in most markets.
The combination of Elon Musk alienating half of Tesla’s potential customer base and Tesla’s stale lineup due to the focus on self-driving is resulting in an impossible situation for Tesla right now. Something needs to change.
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![Greenlane's flagship electric charging truck stop is now online [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/GreenlaneColton1.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Greenlane, which is rolling out a US EV charging network for big rigs, just switched on its first electric truck stop in Colton, California.
April 24, 2025: The flagship facility, at the intersection of Interstates 215 and 10, was completed eight months after breaking ground. It’s got 41 OEM-agnostic chargers with 12 pull-through lanes and CCS 400 kW dual-port chargers with liquid-cooled cables. They’re built to handle big Class 8 electric rigs with ease. Twenty-nine bobtail lanes feature CCS 180 kW chargers.
Colton offers a spacious lounge with food and drinks, a water refill station, and restrooms. There’s free wifi, mobile charging stations, and 24/7 customer support. Security includes round-the-clock on-site attendants, security cameras, gated access, and enhanced lighting. Office space is available for leasing, and there’s overnight truck and trailer parking.
It’s the first of several electric charging truck stops planned for the company’s I-15 commercial EV charging corridor. Greenlane plans to expand its network with future sites expected roughly every 60 to 90 miles in Long Beach, Barstow, and Baker, California.
Greenlane has also secured its first commercial fleet customer, fully electric truckload carrier Nevoya, which will begin operating its fleet of electric trucks out of Colton early next month. Nevoya will use the charging infrastructure and occupy on-site office space. The two companies plan to scale the partnership to include up to 100 of Nevoya’s electric trucks.
Greenlane’s flagship electric charging truck stop
March 11, 2025: Builder and developer Mortenson is constructing the commercial EV charging facility in Colton, which broke ground last September. It will include more than 40 chargers when it comes online for heavy, medium, and light-duty EVs. In its next phase, Greenlane plans to deploy solar panels and battery storage to enhance grid stability, manage peak loads, and increase energy efficiency.
Greenlane’s pull-through lane chargers will be equipped with Alpitronic CCS 400 kW dual-port chargers featuring oil-cooled cables. That means faster charging without the bulk—these cables stay lightweight and easy to handle. For bobtail charging, eFill CCS 180 kW chargers will be available, bringing smart energy management to keep fleet operations running smoothly.
To keep everything in check, ABB’s SCADA system will handle remote monitoring and breaker management, boosting reliability and efficiency. Plus, Greenlane’s sites are built with Trenwa precast cable trench, making it easier to expand EV charging infrastructure and upgrade to megawatt charging as fleet demand grows.
Greenlane’s tech launch
Greenlane, a joint venture between Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy, and BlackRock, also debuted its branded digital technology suite as part of its ongoing development of the I-15 Commercial EV Charging Corridor. The products will be rolled out in phases.
Greenlane’s Chief Technology Officer, Raj Jhaveri, said, “Our technology helps maximize uptime and operational efficiency by ensuring vehicles are charged efficiently and ready to meet the demands of their freight schedules.”
The tech rollout includes an app that allows drivers to check charger availability and make reservations in advance, a fleet portal that enables fleet managers and dispatchers to plan and manage routes for their electric fleets, and a new Greenlane website.
Greenlane also now has OnRamp Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that integrate with existing fleet solutions, providing fleet managers and drivers access to optimized routes, efficient charging and refueling schedules, and related charging data and emissions savings.
Read more: Greenlane announces LA to LV charging corridor for commercial trucks
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VW’s US self-driving arm, Volkswagen ADMT (Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport), is partnering with Uber to roll out thousands of autonomous ID. Buzz vans across the US over the next decade.
The plan kicks off in Los Angeles, with testing starting later this year and commercial rides expected to launch in 2026.
The ID. Buzz autonomous driving (AD) vans will have human operators onboard during early testing and launch phases to help fine-tune the tech and keep things safe. Each stage will only move forward once regulators give the green light.
Volkswagen’s mobility brand MOIA is supplying the vehicles and the AD software that’ll run them on Uber’s platform. It’s a full-stack approach to bringing self-driving EVs to ride-hailing, and another sign that the robotaxi race is heating up.
“Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer – we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision,” said Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility.
In March 2024, Volkswagen became the first vehicle manufacturer to develop a Level 4 AD service vehicle for large-scale production. Level 4 AD means the car can handle most driving situations independently in a defined area, such as a city. It can also drive alone, without passengers.
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