Tesla has updated the Model 3 Long Range in China, giving the ever-popular sedan option a massive boost in performance and an increase in effective driving range. The Model Y Long Range also received a range increase.
While these changes are currently exclusive to the Asian-Pacific market and vehicles built at Giga Shanghai, they provide a preview of changes we expect to arrive in North American and European models in the future.
The New Specs
The updates, which are now appearing on Tesla’s configurator in China, are fairly substantial, particularly for the Model 3.
Model 3
The Model 3 Long Range’s 0-60 mph (0-100km/h) acceleration has been improved from 4.4 seconds down to 3.8 seconds. The CLTC-rated range has also increased from 713 km to 753 km. Those upgrades come with a modest price increase of 10,000 RMB (about $1,400 USD).
Overall, for the Model 3, that’s a 5.6% range increase. The current North American Model 3 Long Range AWD has an EPA-rated range of 342 miles (550 km). A similar 5.6% boost could push a future version to an estimated 361 miles (580 km) of EPA range.
Model Y
The Model Y Long Range, on the other hand, didn’t receive acceleration improvements. Instead, it received a CLTC range increase from 719km to 750km.
The Model Y's range saw a 4.3% increase. When the same percentage is applied to the North American Model Y Long Range's current EPA range of 327 miles (526 km), this could mean a future rating of around 341 miles (548 km).
Model 3 in Detail
The 0.6-second improvement in the Model 3’s acceleration is identical to the gains from Tesla’s existing Acceleration Boost, a software upgrade that improves performance and reduces the gap between the Performance and Long Range variants. In North America, Acceleration Boost costs $2,000 USD or $2,700 CAD.
The 10,000 RMB price increase in China (approximately $1,400 USD / $1,900 CAD) suggests Tesla is essentially bundling this performance unlock into the base price of the Long Range model, while also includes a notable range increase. While the new speed is a great perk for those wanting to go just a bit faster without splurging on a Performance variant, the more meaningful portion of the upgrade is the added range.
Coming to Other Regions?
The immediate question is whether this upgrade will come to North America and Europe for models built at Giga Texas, Fremont, and Giga Berlin. This seems fairly likely, as these off-cycle updates are most likely a result of optimizations to the vehicle, whether through battery, aerodynamic improvements, or something else.
However, if they are a result of optimizations at the battery manufacturing level, it’s possible that they may not reach all markets due to battery cell tariffs in North America and Europe, which prevent the import of batteries manufactured by Tesla’s partners, such as CATL.
What Next?
If these improvements can be implemented at all of Tesla’s factories, they likely will be in the coming months. We’ll have to watch closely to see whether Tesla adds this additional range, as well as the inclusion of Acceleration Boost, to other markets. The Chinese EV market is particularly competitive, and this has incentivized Tesla to include some additional features for free there to remain competitive. Our best guess would be that the range improvements will be seen in other markets if they’re not tied to battery changes; however, Acceleration Boost will remain as a paid upgrade.
