Tesla has updated its Model 3 order sheet on its website, with certain changes, including a larger driving distance indicating that it is now the China-made Model 3 that will be coming to Australia.
In addition, customers are beginning to report that Tesla showrooms have confirmed that several existing orders are “softly linked” to Chinese VINs.
Changes to the Model 3 order page of the Standard Range Plus include 19-inch sports wheels now available as an option for $ A2 200 (the entry-level Model 3 was previously only available with 18 ″ eros), and the option to choose a white interior for $ A1 500 (a black interior was previously the only color), as EV-HQ first noted.
The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus lane is also now listed at 508 km instead of the previous 490 km (and note that these figures are based on the NEDC cycle and are therefore much higher than the actual driving distance).
In particular, this change also means that new Model 3s likely to arrive in Australia will now make the cheaper lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery manufactured by Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, which Tesla began using in its Shanghai plant to repair its parts. to locate. to reduce production costs.
However, according to some European reports, the LFP battery can also charge more slowly and have a shorter lifespan than the NCA battery used in the Fremont-manufactured model.
A price change has not been applied to the Model 3 order sheet in Australia since Saturday afternoon.
The changes took place when images of a massive series of right-hand drive Model 3 were spotted at Tesla’s Shanghai factory, speculating that Tesla was preparing to start supplying the manufactured China market to Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. , as reported by Techau on Friday.
A number of MIC MODEL3 with protective film appear in the factory in Shanghai. It is clear that these M3s are exported to overseas markets, and these are vehicles that are driven on the right. pic.twitter.com/FChUcAanwJ
– 乌瓦 (@bentv_sh) 14 January 2021
Importantly, it would appear that Tesla has already begun adapting these vehicles to existing orders. In a Facebook message Saturday, an existing customer said they had telephoned a Tesla sales representative who told them “they can see 300 orders with soft fit VINs ready for this next shipment and it looks like as if they were Shanghai VINs “.
The staff member also said that Tesla “implements the ability to customize … design features” for those who have orders in the pipeline who want to take advantage of the new options.
While the China-made Model 3 also makes the same changes that Tesla applied to its Fremont-made 2021 refreshment model 3, which first arrived in Australia in December, as black door handles and windows surrounded instead of chrome, it is not clear if the China-made Model 3 will also include the Model Y heat pump.
Teslarati reported in September that Tesla had ordered 450,000 heat pumps for Shanghai, indicating that this may be the case.
Based on the document, it is reasonable to assume that Model 3s are now being manufactured with heat pumps, or will be soon.
– Ray4Tesla⚡️🚘☀️🔋 (@ ray4tesla) 14 September 2020
The Model Y heat pump uses an extremely efficient octovalve, which significantly reduces the energy consumption of auxiliary functions such as heating and cooling.
We have reached out to Tesla Australia to confirm more details and will update this article when more information is known.
Bridie Schmidt is chief reporter for The Driven, a sister site of Renew Economy. She specializes in writing new technology and has been writing about electric vehicles for two years. She is very interested in the role that emission-free transportation plays in sustainability and is co-organizer of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum.