According to a report by CarNewsChina, Tesla is getting ready to launch a new variant of the Model 3 in China. A filing with the country’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) reveals the upcoming offering will have a badge that reads ‘Model 3+’ and could possibly offer the most range compared to other variants.
At present, the Model 3 in China is available in three versions: Rear-Wheel Drive, Long Range All-Wheel Drive and Performance All-Wheel Drive. The first retails for 235,500 yuan (about RM139k) and comes with a CATL-sourced 62.5-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for 634 km of range following the CLTC standard.
The Long Range All-Wheel Drive sells for 285,500 yuan (RM169k) and gets a LG-sourced nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery with 78.4 kWh of capacity for a range of up to 753 km, the highest for the Model 3 in China. Lastly, the Performance All-Wheel Drive at 339,500 yuan (RM201k) uses the same NMC battery but the range is only up to 623 km.
The new Model 3+ combines the single rear electric motor of the base variant with the NMC battery of the other two options. CnEVPost reports that the new variant will have a higher output of 306 PS (302 hp or 225 kW) compared to the regular Rear-Wheel Drive that only packs 264 PS (260 hp or 194 kW).
This combination could potentially result in a range of 800 km or more, although this is following China’s generous CLTC standard. Beyond the “mix and match” powertrain, the Model 3+ is pretty much identical to the other Model 3 variants, including in terms of dimensions (4,720 mm long, 1,848 mm wide, 1,442 mm tall, 2,875 mm wheelbase).
Chinese outlet Cailian claims the Model 3+ is scheduled to go on sale in China in early September with an asking price of 270,000 yuan (RM160k). This would slot it (price-wise) just under the Long Range All-Wheel Drive.
A fourth variant of the Model 3 already exists in Germany since October last year. The LR RWD there has a WLTP-rated range of 702 km, which means it offers the most range compared to other offerings: RWD (513 km), LR AWD (629 km) and Performance AWD (528 km). Worth pointing out the LR RWD has a faster 0-100 km/h time compared to the RWD (5.2 seconds vs 6.1 seconds), which hints at a higher output, reflecting what is suggested by the Model 3+’s MIIT filing in China.
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CLTC is bullshit. Someone needs to come up with a CLTC-to-WLTP-to-EPA calculator to give us a better idea of actual real world mileage.