- The Tesla Model 3 long-range RWD can be very efficient if you keep the speed low.
- In this range test in Thailand, it exceeded its WLTP range by over 20%, reaching 565 miles on one charge.
- The secret to stretching a full charge for this long is keeping the speed low and choosing the right time and conditions.
How much range you can extract out of an electric vehicle depends on a series of factors: its battery capacity, its powertrain efficiency, its weight and its aerodynamic coefficient, as well as the outside temperature. But it’s also heavily dependent on how you drive, your speed and whatever else is draining the battery while on the move—using heating or air conditioning will visibly reduce the range, although this is less of a problem in EVs that have heat a heat pump.
The claimed range, especially the WLTP numbers advertised here in Europe, tends to be a bit optimistic and is usually around 20% to 30% higher than the estimate for the same car sold in the United States. However, the WLTP claim isn’t out of the realm of possibilities, driving normally, and if you have patience and aren’t in a rush, you can exceed it in real-world driving conditions.
Bjørn Nyland proved it by driving a Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive in Thailand and easily exceeded the claimed WLTP range of 466 miles (750 kilometers) for that variant. The trick was to drive the car at a steady 49.7 mph (80 km/h) indicated, which was around 47.9 mph (77 km/h) measured by GPS.
He set out on a loop starting in Bangkok, Thailand, which would take him back to the city at the end of the trip. However, as he neared the city on his way back, the car predicted it would still have 15% charge left in its battery, so it needed more driving to fully drain it and extract the maximum possible range.
The outside temperature was also suitable for a long-range drive, ranging from 80°F (27°C) to 84°F (29°C), so the car didn’t have to expend much energy to keep the battery pack at its optimum temperature. The result wouldn’t have been as impressive if it was even hotter and with more traffic on the road, and taking everything into account, Bjorn specifically chose the time, place and route to get the best shot at achieving an impressive range result.
By the end of the run, the state of charge reached 0%, and the trip meter said the car had covered 565 miles (909 km). That works out to an amazing average efficiency of 7.27 miles/kWh (8.55 kWh/100 km). Bjorn did the run on a Sunday, so the roads were not very busy, allowing him to drive long stretches of highway without slowing down and then accelerating back up to speed.
That’s 21% more range than the WLTP estimate and over 55% more than what the same model is rated for in the United States. There are differences between the Model 3 sold in Asia (built in China) and the version of the model sold in the United States, especially when it comes to the battery pack, so the results aren’t directly comparable.