Tesla accidentally reveals Model 3 efficiency hinting at impressive range

Ahead of the Model 3 event today, Tesla has been making several changes to its website and it apparently accidentally resulted in Tesla disclosing the average efficiency of the vehicle.

The bit of information points to the potential for a truly impressive range.

Several new pieces of code appeared on Tesla’s website, presumably ahead of planned changes for the Model 3 after the event tomorrow.

Some of the code pointed to Tesla adding Model 3 to its online design studio, but the company managed to keep to vehicle’s features under wrap.

Though there’s one important piece of information that slipped through the cracks.

Tesla added the expected average efficiency of the Model 3 to calculate mileage from charging with a Supercharger (hat tip to Akilae for the sleuthing):

It shows an efficiency of 237 Wh per mile – making the Model 3 extremely efficient and even competitive with the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, which is currently the most efficient EV in the US.

It’s important to note that the efficiency used by Tesla for the calculation is not necessarily equivalent to the efficiency achieved through an EPA cycle.

The company quickly removed the code after it was spotted yesterday ahead of today’s event – leaving only the Model S, 344 Wh per mile and the Model X, which is using 369 Wh per mile, according to the same code.

Electrek’s Take

It’s no surprise that the Model 3 is significantly more efficient than the Model S considering it’s much smaller, but that’s quite an improvement.

Now we have yet to get a confirmation of the Model 3’s battery pack options (hopefully later today), but if we were to speculate about a 60 kWh and a 75 kWh options, it would result in ranges of ~253 miles and ~316 miles respectively.

Interestingly, it is in line with a Model 3 prototype spotted with a visible charging screen last month – pictured above. By extrapolating the battery capacity at the time, we figured it showed almost exactly 316 miles of range – matching a ~75 kWh battery pack option with the efficiency accidentally released by Tesla yesterday.

Coincidence? We will likely know for sure by the end of the day. Stay tuned to Electrek as we report back from the event tonight. In the meantime, let us know what you think in the comment section below.