Eighteen-inch aero wheels as standard are back on the menu for the Tesla Long Range Model 3. But it also means that the 19-inch sport wheels, which used to be standard, can be bought for an additional $2,200.
The standard pricing for the Long Range variant still stands at $76,200, but the wheel size change caused some readers of The Drivento question if the EV maker was employing “shrinkflation” tactics – where a manufacturer saves on costs by reducing the size or specifications of a product.
It is not the first time Tesla has made changes to inclusions in a bid to save on costs. Most recently, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla would no longer supply the standard mobile charging cable – known as a UMC (Universal Mobile Connector) – as standard with its range of electric vehicles.
“Usage statistics were super low, so seemed wasteful,” Musk said on Twitter regarding the decision.
The announcement sparked uproar, causing the EV maker to cut the purchase cost of the UMC in the US.
Readers tell us Australian Tesla staff have since said that this exclusion will not affect Australia, where fast-charging infrastructure has far less penetration and the cable is priced at $860 (Tesla has no official media relations department and The Driven’s enquiries were not responded to.)
Another example reported in February saw Tesla drop a redundant steering wheel control unit for vehicles that do not have the Full Self-Driving add-on.
The standard 18″ inch wheel for the Long Range has been in place in the US for some time, where the 19″ option costs an additional $US1,500.
While the change means that in effect, new Tesla customers are paying an additional $2,200 to purchase the same 19-inch wheels that came standard a week ago, those looking for a Long Range Tesla will likely be pleased with the return of the 18-inch rims, which will return better energy efficiency than the larger rims.
Tesla’s Australia website does not reflect the range increase possible with 18-inch rims, but on its US website there is a stated difference of 24 miles (38.6km) – that is, 358 miles (576km) range compared to 334 miles (537km) – for vehicles with the smaller wheel size.
The Tesla Model 3 Long Range is currently listed on the EV maker’s Australian website with 18-inch wheels, white paint, and black interior as standard.
Stated driving range in Australia is 602km (WLTP) – about 537km in real-world driving conditions – with a top speed of 233km/hr and acceleration from 0-100km/hr in 4.4 seconds.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.