Tesla

Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 is a battery electric powered mid-size sedan with a fastback body style built by Tesla, Inc., introduced in 2017. The Model 3 was marketed as a more affordable option compared to Tesla's previous vehicles, the Model S and Model X. The Model 3 was the world's top-selling plug-in electric car for three years, from 2018 to 2020, before the Tesla Model Y, a crossover SUV based on the Model 3 chassis, took the top spot. In June 2021, the Model 3 became the first electric car to pass global sales of 1 million. A facelifted Model 3 with revamped interior and exterior styling was introduced in late 2023 for countries supplied by Gigafactory Shanghai and in early 2024 in North America and other countries supplied by the Tesla Fremont Factory.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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History

In a 2006 interview with Wired Science, Elon Musk presented the Model 3 as likely being affordable by most people able to purchase new cars, aiming for a $30,000 price point. In 2008 the car was stated to be a family car. In 2017 Tesla added that the Standard Range version of the all-electric car would have an estimated EPA-rated range of 215 miles (346 km), a five-passenger seating capacity, front and rear trunks, and promised sports-car levels of acceleration performance. Tesla said it would have a five-star safety rating and have a drag coefficient of Cd=0.225. This is lower than the Tesla Model S drag coefficient of Cd=0.24, which, in 2014, was the lowest among the production cars of the time. Within a week of unveiling the Model 3 in 2016, Tesla revealed they had taken 325,000 reservations for the car. These reservations represented potential sales of over US$14 billion. By August 2017, there were 455,000 net reservations. Industry experts were dubious when, in May 2016, Tesla announced its decision to advance its 500,000-total-unit build plan (combined for Model S, Model X, and Model 3) to 2018, two years earlier than previously planned, in order to accelerate its target for Model 3 output. As predicted, there were "production bottlenecks" and "production hell". In May 2016, Tesla issued US$2 billion in new shares to the stock market to finance the plan. The company plans for the Model 3 are part of Tesla's three-step strategy to start with a high-price vehicle and move progressively towards lower-cost vehicles, while the battery and electric drivetrain were improved and paid for through the sales of the Roadster, Model S, and Model X vehicles. On April 18, 2018, Tesla updated its production target to 6,000 vehicles per week by the end of June 2018, an increase fr

2023 refresh

Tesla announced a design refresh of the Model 3 on September 1, 2023, bringing a longer driving range, lower production costs, technical improvements, and a restyled exterior and interior. During development, the refresh was codenamed "Project Highland". It was exhibited at the 2023 Munich Motor Show. Tesla said the refreshed Model 3 improved range around 10%, largely from a lower and more aerodynamic nose along with a better rear diffuser and more aerodynamic wheels. The tires protrude slightly from the rims, protecting them from curbs. They have lower rolling resistance, but no compromise in lateral performance or steering response. This was enabled by changing materials and removing 1 ply (made possible by lowering the top, rarely used, speed). The gap between tire and body was reduced. The drag coefficient of Cd=0.219 improved from 0.225. Redesigned tail lights eliminated the vertical break between trunk and side. Interior additions included an 8-inch (200 mm) touchscreen (with Bluetooth audio) for rear seat passengers, ventilated front seats, up to 17-speaker sound system (up from 14), customizable interior accent lighting, and a new steering wheel without turn signal and gear selector stalks. In June 2024, the Edmunds website called the turn signal buttons on the steering wheel "unsafe", criticizing both the absence of a stalk and the design and placement of the buttons. The touchscreen for rear seat passengers and the steering wheel without stalks are changes that were previously implemented on the Model S and X during their "Palladium" refresh. Traditional turn signals returned in the 2025 Model Y refresh. Tesla is returning the turn signal stalk to new Model 3 vehicles in China, and Tesla is offering a paid retrofit for existing Model 3 vehicles without a turn

Design

In 2013, design chief Franz von Holzhausen called the Model 3, "an Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class type of vehicle that will offer everything: range, affordability, and performance" that is targeted toward the mass market. While technology developed for Tesla's earlier Model S sedan was used in the Model 3, it is 20% smaller than the Model S and has its own unique design. One of the most striking and noticeable design choices on the Model 3 was the lack of a front grille. Since electric cars have lower cooling needs than combustion cars, they do not need a front grille, yet many, including the Model S, have one to fit in with the design of other vehicles. All trim levels include an expansive glass roof developed by the Tesla Glass group, from the same glass used for the Tesla Solar Roof.The interior of the Model 3 has been described as minimalist or stark, with few physical controls, instead housing most controls in a single 15.4 in (390 mm) center-mounted touchscreen. Critics praised the screen's interface, but pointed out that the decision requires drivers navigate menus to accomplish what could otherwise be controlled by a button or knob. Tesla is also notable for being one of the few automakers offering no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.

Production

Gigafactory Shanghai has been producing the Model 3 since December 2019 for both the local China market and for export to other areas except the United States. Production stages. In a 2013 interview, Jerome Guillen discussed "BlueStar" (codename for the Model 3 project), stating that Tesla was expecting to eventually produce 400,000 cars per year. In May 2016 Tesla told its suppliers that it intended to double earlier-announced Model 3 production targets to 100,000 in 2017 and 400,000 in 2018 due to demand, which suppliers and many experts viewed as unattainable. In the Tesla Factory, paint lines for 500,000 automobiles commenced in 2015, and some stamping equipment for the Model 3 was operational by August 2016. Tesla bought Grohmann Engineering, experienced in automated manufacturing, in January 2017. This acquisition launched Tesla Advanced Automation Germany, which Tesla said would develop manufacturing processes to be used initially in Model 3 production. According to Tesla in late 2016, the company expected to invest between US$2 billion and US$2.5 billion in capital expenditures ahead of the start of Model 3 production. After the two Alpha prototypes were shown (silver and black; red was a shell) in April 2016, Tesla finished the design in late July 2016. Tesla ordered parts equivalent to 300 Beta prototypes in August 2016, preparing for development of the assembly line. As of August 2016, the company intended to make release candidates for testing prior to actual production. Tesla began building Model 3 prototypes in early February 2017 as part of the testing of the vehicle design and manufacturing processes. Tesla said in late 2016 that initial crash test results had been positive. Crash test results in mid-2019 were scored at 96% for protection of adults; 86%

Specifications

=== Motor === Instead of a traditional induction motor, the Model 3's primary (rear) motor uses internal permanent magnets (IPM) with synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) characteristics. Compared to an induction motor, the aluminum squirrel-cage rotor is replaced by an iron rotor, with slots cut into the metal where magnets are inserted in the internal core. As an IPM motor, it produces excellent starting torque; however, performance declines at high speeds due to counter-electromotive forces. For high-speed operation, Tesla engineers used iron's reluctance property, which allows it to spin in synchronization with the magnetic field of the stator if channels are cut into the core. These channels were also an ideal internal location for the permanent magnets to be mounted. The IPM-SynRM motor is responsible for most of the propulsion in both the RWD and AWD Model 3s. The induction motor on the front axle of the AWD models provides additional power and helps to improve handling. Battery. For the Model 3, Tesla initially decided to use 2170-type (21 mm diameter, 70 mm height) cylindrical cells. Compared with the 18650-type batteries that the company had been using since its first generation Roadster, the 2170 batteries were optimized for electric cars, allowing for a higher capacity per cell and a lower number of cells per battery pack. For vehicles built at the Tesla Fremont Factory, the company sources 2170-type batteries with a nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathode chemistry from Panasonic's production line at Gigafactory Nevada. For vehicles made at Gigafactory Shanghai, batteries with a nickel-cobalt-manganese cathode chemistry are sourced from LG Energy Solution's factories in China. As lower-cost models were introduced, Tesla started using prismatic (rectangular) cells wi

Safety

Following crash testing in 2019, the Model 3 performed very well, receiving five stars in every category from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a 94% Euro NCAP score in active safety. The Model 3 may lose Euro NCAP 5 star rating in 2026 due to the lack of physical buttons. The car has hidden door handles. China is banning them over safety concerns. Tesla has until January 1, 2027 to change the design if they want to continue selling cars in China. Other countries are investigating if hidden door handles should be banned too.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7705507CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Model_3CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377658998 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tesla_Model_3_(2023)_Autofr%C3%BChling_Ulm_IMG_9282.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Alexander-93 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Manufacturer website (link only) — https://www.tesla.com/model3Link only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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