The Tesla Model 3 has officially begun rolling off the assembly line, but the car will see a staggered launch. Specifically, the Model 3 in production today is what has been named the "Long Range" variant. Now, we have some additional details on that car.
Preliminary EPA documents, discovered by Inside EVs, show the Tesla Model 3 Long Range model utilizes a battery of 80.5 kilowatt-hours. However, this is likely the maximum capacity, not what is actually used.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously said the Model 3 can't fit a battery larger than 75 kwh, which indicates that the 80.5 kwh figure is likely the battery's maximum capacity. Electric car batteries usually leave room at the top and bottom of their charge range to prolong their life so the battery doesn't discharge completely or overcharge.
The battery in the Tesla Model 3 Long Range delivers an EPA-estimated 310 miles of range.
Additional details found in the documents show a 258-horsepower rating and a 3,837-pound curb weight. These figures refer to the rear-wheel-drive Model 3. Tesla has said all-wheel drive will become available in the future. Right now, the goal is to get the affordable electric car out of "production hell," per a tweet by Musk.
As for the base Tesla Model 3, we're still in the dark. The staggered launch will see the base Model 3 enter production this fall. At Tesla's "Handover Party," the electric-car maker said the base Model 3 will still start at $35,000 and will offer an EPA-estimated 220-mile range.
Tesla aims to produce 100 Model 3s this month but wants to ramp up production to 5,000 cars produced weekly by December of this year. With 455,000 confirmed vehicle reservations, Tesla has a lot of work ahead of itself. That is likely what Musk means by "production hell."
