Tesla certifies new Model 3 Plus version with the longest range in China
Tesla will be releasing a new version of the Model 3 in China, which will be denoted as Tesla Model 3+, indicating that it will have specs above and beyond what is already offered in the Highland refresh portfolio there.
Currently, Tesla sells a single-motor AWD version that is tested for 634 kilometers (393 miles) of range on the local CLTC cycle. It also offers a dual-motor AWD Model 3 trim that ups the range to 753 km, as well as the sporty Performance model.
It is precisely the Long Range AWD model that the new Model 3+ is expected to top in terms of range covered on a single charge. According to a new Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) certification filing, the Model 3+ will have the same LG ternary battery pack as the LR AWD version, but will come with a single rear motor with 225 kW (301 hp) output.
In short, the car will be the same as the current Long Range AWD trim minus the front motor, which will lower its weight, and provide a range on a charge of over 800 km or 498 miles.
According to local insiders, the new Model 3+ will be released in September, and will become the longest range vehicle that Tesla sells in China, given that it only imports a Model S Plaid version that offers 672 km on a charge there.
These are all ranges tested on the local CLTC cycle, though, which includes a lot more urban driving than the more stringent EPA estimate used in the US. The EPA range tests have proven to be way closer to real-world driving, with the CLTC often overshooting by a third. Thus, the new Model 3+ may simply be an equivalent to the current base RWD version that Tesla sells in the US, and offer a similar range.
Tesla used to sell such a Long Range RWD trim in China a few years back, but it had a smaller battery pack and shorter range then. The introduction of its longest range vehicle along with the six-seat Model Y L seems to be timed for a boost in China sales during the all-important last quarter of the year.
