The upcoming new Tesla Model 3 is expected to use a new larger battery pack that will provide up to 550 km of WLTP estimated range.
The new battery pack is expected to bumped up by 10 per cent from the current 60 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery pack. The pack will also be supplied by CATL and use the battery giant’s new Lithium Iron Manganese Phosphate (LFMP) battery chemistry.
That’s according to reporting from a Tesla enthusiast, Chris Zheng, who often shares Tesla China-related developments. The latest shared update on Twitter includes the use of this larger 66 kWh battery pack from CATL.
The new Model 3 will use CATL's LFMP material battery, 66 kWh, and the EPA range is about 480 km.
— Chris Zheng (@ChrisZheng001) June 29, 2023
Although the Tweet states 480 km of EPA range, it is worth noting that the current EPA range of the Model 3 in markets like Canada where metric units are used is 438 km.
The WLTP range on the Australian website is 491 km for the same very popular single-motor variant of the Model 3. Transposing the anticipated increase in EPA range, that will deliver a result of around 550kms WLTP.
CATL is currently the main supplier for all of Australian-bound Tesla Model 3 single-motor EVs. This includes both the Tesla Model 3 and the larger Model Y SUV in rear-wheel-drive (RWD) configurations.
Although the current reports suggest that the change will be coming to the Model 3, to begin with, it’s also likely to follow in a subsequent Model Y upgrade down the track.
Not a lot is known in terms of the charging performance of the new pack, but it’s worth noting that according to Tesla’s website, the current LFP 60 kWh battery pack in Model 3 has a specified peak charging speed of 170 kW Max.
This is also not the first time Tesla has bumped the range on the Model 3. Back in November 2021, Tesla increased the range of the same single-motor variant from 450 km to the current 491 km by increasing the size of the battery pack.
This time around, the additional 6 kWh will mean slightly fewer charging stops on long road trips and peace of mind as the range/charger anxiety is reduced for prospective owners.
We look forward to seeing if the new Tesla Model 3 that’s codenamed Project Highland does include this bump at initial production or if it’s something that will trickle in after the production on the new model is scaled.
Either way, this is good news for EV adoption given Tesla’s popularity in the Australian market. As of May 2023, Tesla Model 3 has been the best-selling EV model for years. The new update with more range may even convince a few more buyers to keep it up there a little longer in the sales chart.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.