Updated 2023 Tesla Model 3 details revealed

CORRECTION 15/02/2023 4:00pm: There may not be any power output or battery capacity upgrades coming for the 2023 Tesla Model 3 after all, with several readers pointing out there's been no change to those figures in updated homologation documents published by the federal government today.

According to the official compliance data, the Model 3 Performance's power output has always been 393kW and its battery capacity has always been 230Ah (81.6kWh at 355V nominal), while Model 3 RWD's power output has always been 208kW and its battery capacity 173Ah (60kWh at 345V nominal).

Tesla does not publish power outputs on its Australian website but we're working to establish the actual outputs of the current Model 3 and Model Y.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED 15/02/2023 12:15pm: Australian homologation data for the updated 2023 Tesla Model 3 has been published on government databases, revealing a series of healthy power bumps and battery capacity increases for Australia’s best-selling EV ahead of its reveal and launch later this year.

Four variants have been approved for sale Down Under at this stage, including one rear-drive single-motor version and three dual-motor variants developing up to 393kW of power.

No specific nameplates have been published with the data – only internal model codes – but you don’t need to be Benoit Blanc to figure out which is which, given the power outputs and nominated battery capacity.

Driving range will predictably increase with the aforementioned rear-drive single-motor variant, which will likely retain its ‘RWD’ nomenclature, with the homologation data revealing an elevated power output of 208kW (up from 190kW) and a bigger 69kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Besides the obvious performance benefits afforded by the extra power – expect a sub-6.0sec 0-100km/h acceleration time – the bigger battery will almost certainly extend the base Model 3’s effective driving range beyond the 500km (WLTP) mark and make it even more appealing to Aussie EV fans.

This recipe largely sets the tone for the rest of the Model 3 range with every dual-motor version boasting more power and a bigger battery.

However, things get a little murky from here as there’s a significant 158kW power gap between the RWD variant and the least-powerful AWD grade.

What should theoretically be the Long Range AWD has an indicated power figure of 366kW (+51kW) and a nominated battery capacity of 92kWh (+10kWh), which should be more than enough to knock its current 4.4sec 0-100km/h time down to around four seconds flat and extend its driving range past 615km.

Above this variant will probably be some sort of enhancement or extension pack that adds another 11kW to the mix (377kW total) and an extra 2.4kWh (94.4kWh) for that extra bit of grunt and efficiency, without stepping up to the now-vicious Model 3 Performance.

Said flagship will be good for an indicated 393kW in its facelifted guise and will draw current from a 92kWh battery, marking respective improvements of 40kW and 10kWh.

That sort of power increase means you can expect a 0-100km/h time of around three seconds dead, in tandem with a driving range north of 550km thanks to the extra battery capacity.

Tesla Australia is yet to confirm or announce any of these details publicly and won’t do so until the facelifted Model 3 has made its global debut later in the year.

However, that hasn’t stopped the local outfit tweaking prices of the existing model, with $400 quietly being added onto the RWD’s entry price following last month’s price cuts.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au