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Here’s what we’ve got for you today: 

• New Tesla Model 3 Leaked?

• Polestar 4 to Crash the Shanghai Auto Show

• Another Lawsuit: Tesla's Peeping Tom Employees

• China Targeting Robotaxi Release Within 2 Years

NEW TESLA MODEL 3 LEAKED?

Buckle up Tesla fanboys! A Reddit user with too much time on their hands has apparently spotted the updated Tesla Model 3, hanging out in what's totally a Florida hangar. Because where else would a top-secret Tesla be?

This random pic shows us some earth-shattering updates: new headlights, no more lower fog light area, and a mysterious instrument cluster in front of the driver. Hold onto your charging cables!

As we've reported before, Tesla is rumored to be working on a facelift for the Model 3 (codenamed Project Highland), set to roll out in the third quarter of 2023. And if you're wondering about the Model Y, don't worry! Project Juniper has you covered with an update coming right after.

But back to the mystery instrument cluster: if it makes it to production, it'll probably have stuff like a speedometer, power meter, and Autopilot driver assist info. Because you know, drivers need information or something.

Other rumours include the cameras getting an upgrade from 1.2-megapixel to 5-megapixel, and the Hardware 3 supercomputer is going to make way for the shiny new Hardware 4. Whatever that is.

Tesla once swore it wouldn't stoop to the level of traditional "facelifts" like other car companies. But hey, everyone loves a makeover, right? So let's slap on some new headlights and call it a day!

POLESTAR 4 TO BE UNVEILED APRIL 18

Polestar, the EV automaker that's been playing peekaboo with us, finally revealed the date for its big unveil of the Polestar 4. Brace yourselves, folks, because come April 18th at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, the pure-electric coupe SUV will make its grand entrance, taking aim at the Maserati Grecale EV, the upcoming Porsche Macan, and of course the Tesla Model Y. Just a heads up - this baby's gonna be fast, like the fastest Polestar yet.

A previous teaser revealed that the new EV will keep the brand's iconic full-width rear LED light bar. The Polestar 4 will be nestled comfortably between the existing 3 SUV and the upcoming 5 saloon in the company's lineup. With plans to produce over 160,000 units of the 3 and 4 SUVs by 2025, Polestar's head of global sales, Mike Whittington, is practically drooling with anticipation.

Last year, Polestar CEO Ingenlath spilled the beans on the Polestar 4 and plans to take the company public. Thanks to investment firms The Gores Group and Guggenheim Capital, Polestar's valuation has skyrocketed to $20 billion USD. This cash injection is just what the doctor ordered, fueling the Polestar 4 and two more EVs into the showroom.

The Polestar 4 is expected to become the brand's bestseller with 79,000 annual sales projected, edging out the liftback saloon. With the mid-sized premium sport SUV sector projected to grow by 46% by 2025, it's prime time for Polestar and others to swoop in.

Ingenlath insists that aerodynamics will play a crucial role in the brand's future SUVs, claiming that bulky, boxy off-roaders are history. But hey, each car will sport different shapes, silhouettes, and interiors, while maintaining that "oomph" factor with Polestar drivetrains.

So get ready electric SUV fans. The Polestar 4 is coming to shake up the scene, and we can't wait to see what's next!

TESLA FACES ANOTHER LAWSUIT FOR SHARING PRIVATE CUSTOMER MOMENTS 

Well, well, well, looks like Tesla is in hot water again! This time, it's facing a class-action complaint after it came to light that employees were using an internal messaging system to share super-sensitive videos and images of customers taken by car cameras. Classy, right?

Our main man, Henry Yeh, a proud Model Y owner in California, decided to sue Tesla on behalf of himself and everyone else in the US who owned or leased a Tesla in the past four years. This lawsuit stems from a Reuters article based on interviews with a whopping nine former Tesla employees.

The lawsuit claims that "Tesla captures recordings of people vulnerable on their own property, in their own garages, and even in their own homes, including at least one instance where Tesla cameras captured video of a man naked in his home." Not creepy at all, huh? And it gets better: the lawsuit also accuses Tesla of capturing and spreading videos and images of customers' pets and children. Ew.

Since 2019, Tesla employees have been accessing these images for their own twisted amusement, according to Yeh's lawyers. They turned pictures of customers' pets into memes and shared them with their fellow employees and maybe even people outside the company. Because who doesn't love a good pet meme, right?

The lawsuit accuses Tesla of a whole slew of things, like "intrusion upon seclusion," negligence, breach of contract, and more. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages and injunctions to make Tesla stop recording, viewing, and sharing videos and images that violate state law.

Tesla has claimed that its camera recordings can't be linked to individuals and their vehicles, but the lawsuit says otherwise. Apparently, Tesla's system did show the location of recordings, so anyone watching could figure out where a Tesla owner lived. Privacy? What's that?

With Tesla's history of privacy violations, it's no surprise that the company had to change camera settings in Europe after complaints and an investigation by the Dutch privacy regulator. It seems Tesla's got some work to do to clean up its act, and we'll be watching to see how this lawsuit unfolds.

CHINA AIMING TO RELEASE ROBOTAXI NETWORK IN 2 YEARS

Oh look, another robotaxi venture! This time it's China's ride-hailing giant DiDi Global, planning to unleash the first mass-produced robotaxis by 2025. Because, you know, "autonomous vehicles on a large scale" is the new black.

The robotaxis will be at Level 4 autonomy, meaning they won't need human intervention most of the time. By contrast, Tesla states FSD as Level 2. At Level 5, the highest level, self driving does away with pesky human interference altogether. Talk about the ultimate backseat driver.

With car manufacturers in a frenzy to bring autonomous vehicles (AVs) to the roads, the global AV market is set to be worth a cool $1.8 trillion by 2030. But don't worry, we're only mildly terrified of the safety concerns surrounding AVs from companies like Tesla and Google.

DiDi, though, pinky-swears that safety is their top priority. Their Robotaxi service has apparently been accident-free for 1,020 consecutive days. How reassuring.

And for those of us who can't handle the tedious task of grabbing our own luggage, the DiDi Neuron robotaxi comes equipped with an in-vehicle robotic arm to do it for us. Plus, it'll wake us up and fetch items from around the cabin. Ah, the future of lazy transportation is here.

DiDi Global, backed by heavyweights like Tencent, Alibaba, SoftBank, Uber, and Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding, had its time in the NYSE spotlight before being delisted over an investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices. But hey, who needs stocks when you've got robotaxis?

PLUGGED IN WEEKLY MEME

That's a wrap for today. Charge your batteries & see ya tomorrow! If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@PluggedInEmail)

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.