Tesla has been anti-selling the Model 3 for quite a while now. Despite the carmaker continuously asserting the superiority of the Model S and CEO Elon Musk consistently telling EV enthusiasts that the Model 3 is still in production hell, the mass market electric car continues to sell really well.
Just recently, more of Tesla’s underselling was brought to light, after it was revealed that the Model 3’s long-range model actually has more range. Apart from this, the mass market EV can also charge faster than the current iterations of its more expensive brethren.
As noted in an Electrek report, Tesla and the Environment Protection Agency recently disagreed on the Model 3’s range rating , with the EPA’s cycle test of the vehicle concluding that the long-range variant of the mass market EV actually has a range of 334 miles. That’s 24 miles more than Tesla’s estimates for the vehicle, which is listed at 310 miles.
Keeping in line with its current strategy of underselling the EV, however, Tesla requested the EPA to lower its figures for the long-range Model 3’s estimated range. The carmaker reportedly requested the EPA to adjust its official figures of the Model 3 to Tesla’s “Desired Range” of 310 miles per charge.
The added 24 miles of range for the Model 3 is not everything that has recently been revealed about the vehicle, however. As noted in a SlashGear report, the EPA also concluded that the Model 3 is capable of accepting DC currents up to 525A from a dedicated Supercharger. At 400V, these figures translate to the Model 3 being capable of charging significantly faster than the more premium Model S and Model X.
Interestingly, Tesla has also been underplaying the charging capabilities of the Model 3. The company, for one, has suggested in the past that the mass market compact sedan would likely charge slower than its more expensive siblings. If the EPA’s recent analysis is any indication, however, the opposite appears to be true.
Considering that the long-range Tesla Model 3 actually has a range of 334 miles, and the fact that it is capable of charging faster than the Model S and Model X, it seems like Tesla is doing all it can to underplay what could easily be the killer features of its most affordable vehicle.
If any, Tesla seems to be trying its hardest to downplay the Model 3’s merits to keep its significantly more expensive cars, the Model S and Model X, safe on their pedestal. After all, if the range of the long-range Model 3 is just a mile short of the Model S, a lot of consumers would likely opt for the far more affordable vehicle.
At this point, such a scenario is something that Tesla seems to be doing its best to avoid.
[Featured Image by Tesla ]