Tesla boosts Model 3 Performance power and makes Premium AWD quicker
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Tesla has updated the Model 3 range in North America. The Performance’s peak output rises to 528 hp, or around 394 kW, the Premium AWD accelerates noticeably quicker than before, and all versions get a larger 16-inch central touchscreen. Tesla has not yet changed the specifications of European cars.
Performance gains power and range
Tesla now lists the Model 3 Performance’s peak output in the US as 528 hp, or around 394 kW. The manufacturer quoted 510 hp for the version launched in 2024, so peak output increases by around 3.5%. Acceleration from 0–60 mph, or 0–97 km/h, remains at 2.9 seconds. The bigger change is in EPA range, which rises from 309 miles to 316 miles, or from around 497 kilometres to 509 kilometres. These are US EPA figures and cannot be compared directly with European WLTP results.
The Performance also gets a black headliner.
Premium AWD cuts 0.4 seconds off its acceleration time
The bigger performance improvement comes with the dual-motor Model 3 Premium AWD.
The US version now accelerates from 0–60 mph in 3.8 seconds, down from 4.2 seconds. Tesla has not announced a separate new motor or battery as part of the change, so the improvement may come from powertrain control and better use of the existing hardware’s capabilities.
This is a familiar approach for the Model 3. An electric powertrain gives the manufacturer more scope to adjust power delivery through software, provided the inverter, motor and battery can support it thermally and electrically.
All Model 3 versions get a 16-inch screen
Model 3 cars in the US, Puerto Rico and Mexico now get a 16-inch central touchscreen in place of the previous 15.4-inch unit. The same screen reached the Model 3 in China shortly beforehand, and Tesla already uses it in newer versions of the Model Y. The 8-inch rear screen remains.
European specifications remain unchanged for now
In Tesla’s Estonian configurator, the Model 3 Performance still has a WLTP range of 571 km and accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.1 seconds. Prices start at €58,490.
The Model 3 Premium Long Range AWD costs €49,990 in Estonia, and Tesla currently lists a 0–100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds for the Premium all-wheel-drive version.
The latest performance changes therefore apply to North America for now. If Tesla brings the same update to Europe, the Premium AWD will become particularly interesting, because a 0.4-second improvement is considerably more meaningful in an everyday car than the Performance’s power increase of a few per cent.
