Cheapest Tesla Model 3 electric car may get driving range boost report

The entry-level Tesla Model 3 may gain a larger battery pack to extend its driving range, according to a new report out of China.

The most affordable – and most popular version – of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 is due to gain increased driving range with the arrival of an updated model late this year or early next year, a new report has claimed.

Chinese media outlet 36kr – spotted by Chinese electric-car specialist website CnEVPost – claims Tesla is planning to upgrade the entry-level, rear-wheel-drive Model 3 with a larger 66kWh battery pack as part of a major update due in the coming months.

This new battery is 6kWh larger than the 60kWh unit in the current model, and is said to increase driving range – by an unspecified amount – from the current claims of 491km in European WLTP lab testing, or 556km in more lenient Chinese CLTC lab testing.

What the updated base Tesla Model 3 is expected to look like, based on leaked images (top of story).

Applying the 10 per cent increase in capacity – and other improvements to energy efficiency with the updated model – could suggest close to 550km of claimed range in WLTP testing, but a figure is yet to be confirmed.

Reports claim the updated Model 3 could benefit from new lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) batteries designed by Chinese battery maker CATL, dubbed ‘M3P’ batteries.

The company’s LMFP batteries are reportedly claimed to be 15 per cent more energy dense than the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the current rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model 3, with improved longevity compared to an LMFP battery from another supplier.

These reports are yet to be verified – and the Chinese 36kr report that details the battery pack size increase does not state if the new 66kWh pack will use CATL’s M3P battery chemistry.

As previously reported by Drive, a major update for the Tesla Model 3 is due to go into production in China and the US late this year, or early next year pending any unforeseen delays.

The latest US reports have detailed brighter matrix LED headlights, front and rear exterior styling changes, a “fresher” interior design, the option of a Formula One-style ‘yoke’ steering control, steer-by-wire technology, and more advanced cameras for semi-autonomous driving.

Prices for the updated Model 3 are said to be “similar” to the outgoing model, the report from Tesla vehicle changes and production tracker Teslascope on Twitter claims.

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