Last year the world was introduced to the updated Tesla Model 3, but not yet to every version of that Tesla Model 3. We had to wait a while for the sporty Performance, but a week ago the curtain was finally lifted. However, something strange was going on with the new Model 3 Performance because although American media reported a power of “510 bhp” – or 517 hp according to our count – Tesla in Europe talked about 462 hp. Now we know exactly how that happens.
Different factory, different power
The Model 3 Performance that we receive is not exactly the same as the one that comes on the market in the US. The latter is built in our own country, while the Model 3 Performance for Europe will roll off the production line in China. Both factories use some different software and hardware here and there and this is especially noticeable in the sporty top version. For example, the electric motors of the American model produce 517 hp and 741 Nm of torque, while the Chinese-built version produces 462 hp and 723 Nm. Their batteries are also different, with an 82 kWh battery from Panasonic in the US versus 79 kWh of LG cells for the Chinese Model 3 Performance that is coming our way.
The result is a different sprint time, although it is not easy to simply compare them. For example, our Model 3 Performance reaches 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds, while the American version accelerates to… 60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds. However, that corresponds to about 96 km/h, so we can assume that the Performance in the US also reaches 100 km/h a little faster than ours… Although you won’t hear us complaining, because that also means the European Model 3 Performance still a few tenths faster than the pre-facelift model.
The article is in Dutch
Tags: Tesla #Model Performance #powerful
