Specifications

The rear-wheel drive Model 3 Standard Range Plus – Tesla’s cheapest car to date – will go for 254 miles on a charge, while acceleration from 0-60mph takes 5.3 seconds, with a top speed of 140mph.

Meanwhile, the mid-priced Model 3 Long Range uses a dual-motor system to provide all-wheel drive and hits 348 miles of range, with 0-60mph taking 4.4 seconds en route to a top speed of 145mph.

The top-spec Model 3 Performance also offers all-wheel drive. Although its range falls to 329 miles, it’s the fastest car in the line-up, with a 0-60mph time of just 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 162mph.

Car Price Range 0-60mph Top speed Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus £39,000 254 miles 5.3 seconds 140mph Tesla Model 3 Long Range £47,000 348 miles 4.4 seconds 145mph Tesla Model 3 Performance £52,000 329 miles 3.2 seconds 162mph

All versions come with Autopilot as standard, allowing the Model 3 to accelerate, brake and steer itself on motorways and dual-carriageways.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Capability promises an even higher level of autonomous driving, although it costs an extra £5,800. It's also available to buy after customers have taken delivery of their cars, although Tesla warns that prices are likely to increase over time as updates are released.

Inside, the Model 3 features a minimalist interior typical of the Tesla range, with a 15-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard controlling all of the car’s functions. Four USB sockets are provided so passengers can charge handheld devices, and the Model 3 can connect two smartphones to its on-board system at a time.

Performance and Long Range cars benefit from a premium interior package, which introduces powered, heated seats, a 14-speaker audio system with online music streaming, plus satellite-view maps with live traffic updates and navigation.

There are five colours to choose from, although Pearl White is the only one that doesn’t cost extra. Solid Black costs £750, Might Silver and Deep Blue cost £950, while Multi Coat Red and Pearl White costs £1,900.

Standard Range Plus and Long Range versions of the Model 3 get 18-inch Aero Wheels as standard. The Performance version gets 20-inch Performance Wheels as standard, in addition to aluminium alloy pedals, red brake callipers, a carbon-fibre rear spoiler and a Track Mode for circuit driving.

All Model 3s are covered by a four-year warranty. The first customers took delivery of their cars in June 2019.

Euro NCAP crash-test rating

The Tesla Model 3 was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, achieving a record rating for its advanced driver aids. It scored 96% in the adult occupant protection category, along with 86% and 74% respectively in the child protection and vulnerable road users tests.

Its record 94% in the safety assist category was achieved after tests were conducted on the car's speed assistance, lane-departure avoidance and blind-spot monitoring systems. Tesla's Autopilot feature is classified as a 'comfort driving feature' and therefore had no impact on the results, however Euro NCAP will begin to test such systems soon.

200kW charging capability

In June 2019, Tesla began rolling out an over-the-air update boosting the Model 3's maximum charging speed to 200kW. The upgrade applies to all-wheel-drive versions of the car, namely the Model 3 Long Range and Model 3 Performance.

Rapid charging will be possible on the IONITY network, as well as those provided by Fastned and others. Earlier this year, Tesla announced a worldwide upgrade to its Supercharger network: this will see the Model 3’s maximum charging rate raised again to 250kW as the new Superchargers are installed over the course of the next year.

Tesla charging network extensions

The Tesla Supercharger network already stretches across 430 locations in 23 European countries, having grown by more than 30% in 2018. But even so, Tesla is keen to ensure that Model 3 owners aren’t kept waiting to charge their batteries.

By adopting CCS charging on the Model 3 – as well as giving Model S and Model X owners optional CCS compatibility – Tesla drivers will soon have an extra 5,500 charging points to choose from throughout Europe. More than 1,000 of these can be found in the UK.