Tesla Model 3 – Automotivetry.com – Motor Sports, Exotic Cars, and Everything In Between

Tesla’s Sentry Mode Camera Will Melt Snow To Give It A Clear View

The Sentry Mode of the Tesla Model 3 is one of its most useful features and as it turns out, not even snow can stop it from working.

Sentry Mode uses the Model 3’s exterior cameras to monitor what is going on around the car when it is parked. If the system detects something suspicious, it will start recording. While the side cameras and rear camera are quite well protected from the elements, the front-facing camera at the top of the windshield could easily be covered by snow – and, wouldn’t you know it, Tesla has already thought of that.

Watch Also: Tesla Model 3’s Sentry Mode Captures Two Men Keying Car

Images recently shared by owners online reveal that the camera unit is able to heat up to melt snow that may be blocking its view. More specifically, The Drive, who published photos from Model 3 owner Jon Herrity, writes that there are defrosting lines in front of the camera unit that work like the ones you’ll find on rear windows.

It appears as though the system is always enabled, just in case an owner wants to use Smart Summon and drive the car remotely through their smartphone.

Since Tesla rolled out its Sentry Mode function, heaps of videos have surfaced online of people breaking into Model 3s or intentionally damaging them. In fact, we’ve shared more than a couple of videos that show individuals keying the sides of Teslas while unknowingly being filmed by the exterior cameras.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Land Rover check out Land Rover Cincinnati TODAY!

Tesla Came Oh So Close To Delivering 500,000 Vehicles In 2020

Tesla managed to deliver a total of 499,550 vehicles in 2020, just short of Elon Musk’s goal of 500,000.

Figures released by the electric automaker reveal that in the final quarter of the year, it delivered 180,570 vehicles to customers around the world. Of these, 18,920 were Model S and Model X vehicles, while the remaining 161,650 were Model 3s and Model Ys. During the quarter, a total of 179,757 new Tesla vehicles were produced.

While Tesla didn’t quite hit Musk’s goal of 500,000, these figures represent significant gains over previous years. Tesla increased deliveries by 36 per cent this year compared to 2019, a particularly impressive achievement when you consider just how crazy 2020 was.

Moreover, despite very narrowly missing the target, Tesla said it had “produced and delivered half a million vehicles, in line with our most recent guidance”, which Elon Musk said was a “major milestone”. In fact, Tesla manufactured more than 509,000 cars in 2020.

In a press release confirming the production and delivery numbers, the company added that production of the Model Y recently commenced at its Shanghai Gigafactory and that customer deliveries will “begin shortly.”

This year could be just as fruitful, if not more so, for Tesla. Just a few days ago, Musk and the transport minister of India revealed that the automaker will begin selling its vehicles in the country this year. India is the world’s fifth-largest auto market and its government is making efforts to promote electric vehicles, including a plan to offer $4.6 billion in incentives by 2030 to establish EV battery manufacturing sites in the country. A measly 3,400 electric vehicles were sold in India in 2019.

The first Tesla to be sold in India will be the Model 3, priced from 5.5 million Indian rupees (over $74,000).

Tesla Model 3 Performance: Is It Really A Game-Changer?

The Tesla Model 3 Performance has been on the market for quite some time now but only recently did Rory Reid from AutoTrader have the opportunity to drive it. Like most reviewers, including ourselves, he was left very impressed.

Many electric cars currently on the market are far from what you’d describe as ‘fun’ or ‘entertaining’. In fact, the majority of them are fairly boring city cars. On the other hand, the Model 3 Performance is a vehicle that even the most traditional of car enthusiasts can have fun behind the wheel of.

One of the great advantages that the Model 3 Performance has over many other vehicles on the market lies in its configurability provided by the dual electric motors. When we drove the car, we absolutely loved flinging it through corners in Track mode, feeling the power being shuffled between the wheels depending on where the grip was needed.

Since then, Tesla has updated the driving modes on its baby sedan and now allows owners to specify exactly where you want the power sent. For example, you can decide to have all the power sent to the front wheels or all the power sent to the rear wheels. Want 15 per cent of the power sent to the front and the rest to the rear? That’s also possible. In fact, any combination in-between is available (in increments of 5, e.g. 35/65 front/rear, 45/55 front/rear). Drivers can also toggle how much stability assist they want.

So, was Reid won over by the top version of Tesla’s entry-level saloon? Watch the video right below and find out.

[embedded content]