by Tesla increased the range of Chinese electric vehicles
Tesla has increased the range for some of its electric vehicle models sold in China by 25 miles without increasing the battery size. The Model 3 Long Range AWD now has an official rating of 468 miles, and the Model Y has 466 miles according to the Chinese CLTC cycle. Furthermore, the Model 3 has accelerated its 0 to 62 mph time from 4.4 to 3.8 seconds, but this version has become more expensive.
The updates apply only to the Chinese market, where Tesla faces stiff competition. The company did not change the batteries but optimized efficiency. For the Model Y, these changes did not affect the price, while the Model 3 became more expensive by 10,000 yuan. In Europe and the US, the range and performance figures remain lower.
Despite the increase in range, the Chinese CLTC figures cannot be compared to the more conservative EPA estimates used for the American market.
The improvement in the Model 3’s performance may be related to the inclusion of the previously optional “Sports acceleration” mode as standard. It is not yet known whether similar updates will appear in other markets, but European and American buyers will likely be watching for further announcements from Tesla.
These changes are occurring against the backdrop of an overall decline in Tesla’s sales in China, where local manufacturers such as BYD are offering increasingly competitive models. Improving technical specifications without a significant price increase could be the company’s attempt to regain lost ground.
