Tesla Model 3 gets 350 miles in new ‘long-range mode’ test

CEO Elon Musk congratulated the Tesla team after the Model 3 got 350 miles of range on a single charge in a new test on range mode.

Officially, Tesla Model 3 Long Range had a range of 310 miles on a single charge, but Tesla has found some optimizations in recent months — leading to an increase of EPA-rated range to 322 miles.

Now Consumer Reports conducted its own test of the car, confirming the EPA rating.

More interestingly, they also conducted a test with range mode and achieved 350 miles on a single charge:

At CR, we’ve found that our range testing has matched the EPA’s testing within single-digit percentage points. Our tested Tesla Model 3 matched the 310-mile range the EPA had pegged it at, and in Long Range mode we achieved 350 miles.

Musk shared the report, which praises Tesla’s efficiency, and thanked his team for the hard work:

Getting there was super hard. Very proud of Tesla team!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2020

When it comes to long-range electric vehicles, Tesla has been the industry leader for a while, but it even took the overall electric vehicle efficiency lead after its latest 2020 vehicle updates.

Last year, analyst Kevin Rooke released a report showing how Tesla’s focus on efficiency results in about a 3% improvement per year:

Either way, it’s fascinating to see how steady Tesla’s efficiency improvements are. Every passing year Tesla cars use roughly 3% less energy than in the previous year to travel the same distance (normalized for vehicle weight).

Rooke also plotted the efficiency against other electric vehicles on the market:

Other electric vehicles that have been around for a while, like the Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3, have also improved, but Tesla vehicles have received more consistent updates.

The Model S is the best example since it has been around for the longest.

Since Rooke’s report, Tesla again updated the Model S, which now has a range of up to 390 miles on a single charge and an even better efficiency.

Electrek’s Take

When it comes to long-range EVs, Tesla had an efficiency lead for a long time, but recently, I’ve seen a renewed focus from Tesla around range and efficiency.

I am not saying that Tesla wasn’t working on those things before, but they are talking more about it now, like Musk sharing the CR report and this chart during their last earnings:

I like that they are talking more about it. It’s something that is going to push the industry to improve and try to catch up to them because Tesla is not going to be sitting on its lead. They are going to keep pushing.