Tesla to launch Model 3 Plus with massive range

Tesla is reportedly working on a new variant of its Model 3 sedan, and this one might have the longest range of them all.

A new filing with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), spotted on Thursday by Electrek, is called the Tesla Model 3+. According to the filing, the new vehicle will be a single-motor, rear-wheel drive variant with a larger, 225kW motor.

While the currently available RWD (Rear-Wheel Drive) version uses LFP battery cells, the new version uses LG's ternary lithium ion cells, which have a higher energy density. The other basic specs of the car — overall length, wheelbase length, and weight — are the same as those of the base Model 3 version.

Not all of the specs of the car are known, but what we know (along with the car's name, Model 3+) all points to this being a longer-range variant of the car.

The (translated) Tesla Model 3 specs page shows three currently available models. The new Model 3+ might beat them all when it comes to range. Credit: Tesla China

Currently, the Tesla Model 3 with the longest range (that's the RWDe model) is listed as having 753 kilometers of range in China. The new variant could potentially exceed 800 kilometers (roughly 500 miles), which would be a first for Tesla.

In the U.S., the Model 3 with the most range can do 363 miles per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s estimates, though in China the range figures are based on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) which is a bit more generous in its estimates.

The news comes shortly after a new variant of the Model Y was also filed with the MIIT. Called the Tesla Model YL, it has an extended wheelbase and three rows of seats with two seats in each, for a total of six.

There's no word on when (or if) the two new variants are coming to the U.S. and Tesla's other markets. Both are very interesting as they address two very important pain points for today's electric cars: interior space and range.