Tesla's new Chinese Model 3+ crushes range records, six-seat Model Y L CLTC range also confirmed

Official government filings from China have pulled back the curtain on two new electric cars from Tesla, revealing a new Model 3 variant with an impressive range and a more spacious, six-seat version of the popular Model Y crossover. The documents, submitted to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), have detailed theoretical, best-case-scenario range, but they still push the boundaries of what consumers can expect from Tesla.

The star of the show is a new version of the Model 3, which appears destined to wear a "Model 3+" badge. According to the filing, this single-motor, rear-wheel-drive sedan will offer a range of up to 516 miles on a single charge. This figure is based on the notoriously optimistic China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) standard, but it still makes it the longest-range electric car in Tesla's entire lineup. The current range champion in China is the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which tops out at 468 miles.

Tesla is giving the new Model 3+ a 78.4 kWh ternary lithium-ion battery pack supplied by LG Energy Solution. The pack itself weighs 988 lb and has an energy density of 175 Wh/kg. The filing also shows this new variant gets a more powerful single motor, rated at a peak output of 225 kW. This is a decent bump from the 194 kW motor found in the current entry-level Model 3. The vehicle has a listed curb weight of 3,880 lb.

Not to be outdone, a new variant of the Model Y, dubbed the "Model Y L," is also detailed in the regulatory paperwork. Its most significant feature is a new six-seat interior configuration, offering more passenger flexibility than the current five-seat models available in China. This dual-motor, all-wheel-drive crossover is promising to deliver a CLTC range of 467 miles and is powered by an 82.0 kWh battery pack, also a ternary unit from LG Energy Solution.

The powertrain of the Model Y L uses a 142 kW motor for the front wheels and a more powerful 198 kW motor for the rear. The battery pack for this larger EV weighs 1,025 lb and has a slightly higher energy density than the new Model 3's pack, coming in at 176 Wh/kg. Tesla has previously indicated that this six-seat version of the Model Y will launch in China this fall, and its appearance in the MIIT catalog for tax-exempt vehicles suggests that the launch is on schedule.

Tesla currently sells three versions of the Model 3 sedan in China. The base rear-wheel-drive model starts at RMB 235,500 ($32,790), the Long Range AWD at RMB 285,500 ($39,750), and the Performance AWD at RMB 339,500 ($47,300). The five-seat Model Y is offered in a rear-wheel-drive version starting at RMB 263,500 ($36,700) and a long-range all-wheel-drive model from RMB 313,500 ($43,650).

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