Tesla adds more range and performance to its AWD models as competition mounts

Tesla has quietly upgraded the long-range versions of both the Model 3 and the Model Y electric cars in China, adding more range and performance to both models to kick things off in the second half of 2025.

On the Model 3 Long-Range AWD model, Tesla is now offering 753 km of range, up from 713 km on the CLTC cycle. That’s an increase of over 5.4%, hinting at a possible change in the battery pack.

Not only has the range been improved, but the acceleration has also improved, helping the Model 3 shave 0.6 seconds from its 0-100 km/h sprint time, which now comes in at 3.8 seconds. 

On the company’s Weibo page, it shared: “Model 3 long-range all-wheel drive version is upgraded🚗 Longer range, CLTC range increased to 753 kilometers🛣️🦾 More powerful, 0-100km/h acceleration upgraded to 3.8 seconds⬆️”.

This upgrade also comes with a price increase equivalent to around $A2,200 over the previous pricing. 

That’s still cheaper than the Acceleration Boost option, which is available to the Long Range owners who wanted to shave a bit of time on acceleration. That option in Australia is priced from $3,000 but doesn’t add any upgrades to the range.

Like the Model 3, the Model Y also sees a boost in range, increasing by 4.4% to 750 km on the CLTC cycle. That’s up from 719 km, allowing drivers to travel further than they have ever done so in a Model Y Long Range.

Another key upgrade is the acceleration time, which has been shaved from 4.8 seconds to just 4.3 seconds, making it an even more enjoyable drive for many.

On Weibo Tesla said: “Model Y long-range all-wheel drive version🚗 Range is further improved🛣️🦾 750km ultra-long range makes long-distance travel a piece of cake.”

This is quite an interesting move from Tesla and comes only days after Xiaomi’s YU7 SUV launch in the Chinese market which saw almost 300,000 firm orders in the first hour of it going on sale.

The real difference here is that the Model Y is available for delivery within weeks while Xiaomi could take up to a year to deliver to its climbing order holders.

Another key point worth mentioning is that this comes only days before various other mid-sized SUVs are about to launch. 

This includes the highly anticipated Xpeng G7, Li Auto i8 and Nio’s Onvo L90. All three of them will be competing for the mid-size SUV family EV customer in China.

The latest move could help Tesla get a head start over the other models but with the market only getting more competitive in the second half of 2025, the company may need to release its affordable models sooner rather than later.