Why is the Tesla Model 3 Performance more powerful in the USA?

The information went unnoticed: in the United States alone, the Tesla Model 3 Performance is 50 horsepower more powerful.

The pot has been uncovered in Canada where customers interested in the new Tesla Model 3 Performance were surprised by different technical specifications. Starting with the power: 460 horsepower like in Europe, China, and the Middle East, versus 510 horsepower in the United States. A simple question of regulation? No, the answer is purely technical.

Mobiwisy had already expressed concern about the fact that Teslas sold in Canada did not come from the American continent… but from China. A necessity to help absorb Chinese production from the Shanghai factory, which is in a steep decline. And too bad if Tesla’s carbon footprint is disastrous. Proof that there is a difference between the eco-virtuous discourse touted by the California manufacturer and the economic reality…

A battery issue?

The units sold in the United States are produced locally to be eligible for the federal bonus of $7,500. They are therefore assembled at the Fremont factory (California) and not in Shanghai. However, their configuration features a Panasonic battery of 82 kWh, while the Chinese versions have an LG battery of 79 kWh.

Stated this way, the difference is minimal (3 kWh), but it makes a difference in the energy deployment curves. To the point that the American version of the Tesla Model 3 Performance claims to have 50 more horsepower! That’s an increase of +11%. And yet, the acceleration values are strictly the same…

Who is telling the truth?

Skepticism is warranted when discussing Tesla and its technical data. There is a lot of silence, but it has been a long time since a “global” car displayed different configurations depending on markets. Especially neighboring ones like the United States and Canada…

Still, the acceleration values and maximum speeds are strictly the same everywhere: 0 to 100 km/h in 3″1 and a top speed of 260 km/h. Should we understand that the American version is more powerful to compensate for extra weight? Could the Panasonic battery be more powerful but also heavier than its LG counterpart?

On the aspect of maximum speed, it is electronically limited, so there is no debate.

So many questions that, for now, remain unanswered until tests can be conducted.

ALL THE NEWS ABOUT TESLA