► Tesla Model 3 RWD long-range coming
► Arriving in the UK November 2024
► Full details of whole Model 3 line-up
Following on from the 2024 facelift, the Tesla Model 3 has received another upgrade – this time the addition of a new long-range version of the rear-wheel drive variant. Creating what Tesla says is ‘the most efficient EV available in Europe today’.
Claimed capable of 436 miles per charge, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, to give it its the full and rather unimaginative title, is also said to offer the best ‘price-to-range’ ratio of any electric vehicle on sale in the UK. Starting at £44,990, it’s certainly cheaper than anything else on our list of the longest-range EVs.
Give us some more details on the new RWD Long Range Model 3
That 436-mile driving range is equivalent to 700km. Which means – according to Tesla – driving that far uses an equivalent amount of energy as heating 700 microwave dinners. We’re not really sure of the relevance of that either, but apparently that’s a measure of EV energy consumption now.
In more sensible figures, Tesla says the LR RWD expends 20.1kWh per 100 miles. That’s 5 miles per kilowatt hour, which is very impressive. Using dedicated home EV charging tariff Octopus Go, which costs as little as 7p per kWh, Tesla reckons 10,000 miles of driving would therefore cost approximately £140.83. Amazing, if that maths adds up in the real world.
And to be clear, we will be testing the car’s real-world efficiency as soon as we’re able to – though it’s worth noting the Model 3 is already the most efficient EV we’ve ever group-tested, achieving 4 miles per kWh in winter driving. The first UK customers cars should be here in November 2024.
What about the rest of the Model 3 line-up?
The Tesla Model 3 has been revised for the 2024 model year – and we’ve got all the new photos and specs of the facelifted electric car. It’s the biggest change after six years and 2 million sold, underlining the importance of the smaller, cheaper Tesla.
It’s now available in the UK, priced from £39,990. Deliveries for the heavily updated car – dubbed ‘Highland’ before being unveiled – began in January 2024.
The Model 3 has become a common sight on UK roads, rising to be the bestselling car overall in some months. It’s clearly done its job intended by Elon Musk: to electrify the masses. Key changes for the 2024 model year are revised lamps front and rear, and a host of interior upgrades, and we’ll detail all these changes in this article.
You can watch our Tesla Model 3 video in the film below, where road tester James Dennison drives the cheaper, smaller Tesla in London and the countryside, and gives CAR magazine’s verdict. We’ll be driving the revised 2024 Model 3 in the weeks to come.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Tesla Model 3 EV.
Prices and launch date
Two models initially came to the UK and Ireland in 2024: the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive and Long Range All-Wheel Drive. Two additional colours (Ultra Red and Stealth Grey) were added at the same time, with an updated Model 3 Performance joining a little later. You can see the latest specs and prices in the table below.
| | Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive | Model 3 Long Range | Model 3 Performance |
| WLTP range on standard-fit 20″ wheels | n/a | n/a | 328 miles |
| WLTP range 19” Optional Nova Wheels | 318 miles | 390 miles | n/a |
| Consumption 19” | 212.5Wh/mi | 225.4Wh/mi | n/a |
| Estimated range 18” Standard Portal Wheels | 344 miles | 421 miles | n/a |
| Top Speed | 125mph | 125mph | 163mph |
| 0-60mph | 5.8 sec | 4.2 sec | 2.9sec |
| Price | £39,990 | £49,990 | £59,990 |
Compare that to previous specs below and the range is up across the board, although speed remains unchanged. That’s partly down to the updated Model 3’s uprated aerodynamic efficiency.
| | Rear Wheel Drive | Long Range AWD | Model 3 Performance |
| 0-60mph | 5.8 seconds | 4.2 seconds | 3.1 seconds |
| Top speed | 140 mph | 145 mph | 162 mph |
| Range WLTP | 305 miles | 374 miles | 340 miles |
| Starting price | £40,490 | £50,990 | £57,990 |
| Wheel options | 18in Aero or 19in Sport | 18in Aero or 19in Sport | 20in Performance |
| Drive | Rear-wheel drive | Dual motor all-wheel drive | Dual motor all-wheel drive |
| Vehicle warranty | 4 year / 50,000 miles | 4 year/ 50,000 miles | 4 year / 50,000 miles |
| Battery and warranty | 8 year / 100,000 miles | 8 year / 120,000 miles | 8 year / 120,000 miles |
| Kerbweight | 1645kg | 1847kg | 1847kg |
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The interior and cabin
Most of the improvements to the Model 3 are focused around the cabin, an area where its age was beginning to show compared to the competition. Tesla engineers have introduced premium materials to the fold and updated pretty much everything in the interior: The front seats are now ventilated and all seats are heated as standard.
The centre console – always a highlight of Teslas – still houses a 15.4-inch display, but thinner bezels mean there’s more usable screen area than before. The entire console is now covered in aluminium with improved storage, dual wireless phone chargers and a trio of up-to-date USB-C ports – all capable of pushing out 65W of power. Tesla has also added ambient lighting, a feature found in the majority of its competitors.
Passengers at the rear haven’t been left out when it comes to tech though; an 8-inch screen will allow those in the back seats to access entertainment and other options, with further features to be added via OTA updates.
A new stereo brings 17 speakers, dual subwoofers and twin amplifiers for Long Range vehicles, while basic RWD Model 3s get a single sub and amp. The infotainment supports Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal and Tesla promises better microphones for hands-free calls.
Note also how there is no key: instead you use your phone, or a Tesla credit-card-sized fob, to unlock and start the car. It’s a good example of Tesla focusing on evolution, not revolution. The 2024 facelift is a modest change, emphasising everyday useability over any significant engineering step change.
Tesla Model 3: charging
Tesla recently gave Model 3s with the bigger battery a firmware update which brought faster, 200kW charging capability. It means cars with the top battery can now add a theoretical 850 miles of range in just one hour – if you can find a fast enough charger, that is.
The new European ultra-fast networks such as Ionity, Fastned and Allego chargers should do the job, according to Tesla.
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