New 436-mile Tesla Model 3 variant revealed

On sale: November | Price from: £44,990

Few drivers, even in a petrol or diesel-powered car, would think of tackling the 412-mile journey between London and Glasgow without stopping for fuel along the way. Even fewer would be able to make it without pulling over for a comfort break. And yet, if you’re driving the new Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear Wheel Drive – and have an iron bladder – it’s something you could do.

Indeed, with an official range of up to 436 miles between charges, the Long Range Rear Wheel Drive is not only the longest-range Model 3 variant yet, but also the most efficient, averaging 20.1kWh per 100 miles.

That official range is more than any version of the rival BMW i4 can manage, and also more than the 406-mile official range of the Polestar 2 in Long Range Single Motor form.

Of course, you’re unlikely to see that headline range figure in real-world conditions. When we tested a Model 3 RWD as part of our annual summer range test, for example, it managed 255 miles before running out of juice – 19.7% less than its official range of 318 miles. The Model 3 was, however, the most efficient car in our test, averaging 4.4mi/kWh.

Power for the Long Range Rear Wheel Drive comes from the same single electric motor which powers the Model 3 RWD, and in that car it’s enough to get the car to motorway speeds in a rapid 5.8sec.

As with all electric cars, if you can charge up the new Model 3 variant at home, your running costs could be pleasantly small. Indeed, Tesla says that an average driver covering 10,000 miles per year and charging at home at a rate of 7p/kWh would spend less than £150 per year on charging. There’s also Tesla’s fast and reliable network of Superchargers if you rely on public charging points.

With a price tag of £44,990, the new Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is £5000 more expensive than entry-level Model 3’s, and sits just below the Long Range All Wheel Drive model in Tesla’s line-up.

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