Europe: Is the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD Dead?

On the idea of the Tesla Model Y with a large battery and two-wheel drive, the Model 3 is slow to arrive in Europe. Here’s why.

The electric consumption sheet for the Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive has been available on the Tesla France website for months. It details its power, weight, and consumption, which is surprisingly high. Despite its claimed lower weight of 1810 kg compared to 1836 kg for the Rear-Wheel Drive, due to a higher energy density battery, the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 has a consumption rate of 14.4 kWh compared to 13.2 kWh per 100 km for the Rear-Wheel Drive. Nevertheless, Tesla promises nearly 700 km of range.

A comparison that is all the more surprising given that the logic is reversed with the Model Y in these two configurations: the Long Range 2-wheel drive, which is also lighter but significantly more powerful (255 kW against 220 kW, or 346 hp against 299 hp), is more economical. It boasts a consumption of 15.5 kWh per 100 km, compared to 15.7 kWh for the Rear-Wheel Drive.

Thought for the United States

Factually, one can wonder why this Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 came into existence. From a pragmatic point of view, it benefits from its similarities with the Model Y to gain technical advancements. The platform is common, so why not take advantage of it?

Furthermore, the United States has implemented a 100% import tax on vehicles produced in China, whether the manufacturer is Chinese… or American. But Uncle Sam’s country goes further: it scrutinizes the origin of the battery. In this case, Tesla no longer met the criteria to benefit from federal electric transition subsidies. Subsidies that the manufacturer cannot do without to remain competitive, much to the chagrin of Elon Musk and his vision of a welfare state that must not intervene in Americans’ lives (education, health, justice…) except to subsidize its cars. Search for the logic…

Thus, Tesla had to urgently industrialize a model whose specifications would be 100% compliant with Washington’s requirements. Evidence of this is that the Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is cheaper in the USA than the Rear-Wheel Drive version due to the ecological bonus. It starts there at $29,990 before taxes (about €27,000), compared to $33,990 before taxes (€30,500) for the Rear-Wheel Drive, a portion of whose components come from China. This is also why the Model 3 Performance is more powerful in the USA, etc., etc.

No Logic in Europe?

The same logic applied to the Model Y a few months earlier, to the point where the Rear-Wheel Drive version eventually disappeared due to its financial irrelevance. Recall that the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y does not exist in China at this time, but only in Europe and North America. And this is the primary reason for the delay – or even the non-importation – of the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 in Europe… which also does not exist in China.

However, the units delivered in Europe are produced 19,600 km away, at the Gigafactory in Shanghai. As long as Tesla does not industrialize the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 there or decides to import it from the United States, there will be no such configuration here.

It’s safe to say that with the increase in customs tariffs in Europe on cars produced in Asia, there is now little chance of seeing the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 land on our roads. But with Tesla, one is never safe from a flashy decision. Unless the idea of an electronic range unlocking, now very much in vogue at Tesla, finally arrives in Europe. This would easily allow for some additional euros to be scraped together due to eco-anxiety.