Tesla’s Project Highland Model 3 refresh is expected to bring about a number of exterior and interior design changes, but there will also be significant changes that you won’t be able to see on a daily basis. According to a new report out of China, one of those will be an upgraded battery pack that will give the electric sedan even more driving range.
According to a Chinese media outlet 36kr, the refresh Model 3 will be equipped with CATL’s M3P lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs. With the new battery pack the entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) variant would also see a boost in the size of the battery pack, going from 60kWh to 66kWh. If accurate those extra 6kWh would translate into about 50km (35 miles) of additional CLTC-rated driving range.
The upgrade would follow a similar trend from previous refreshes, as the original entry-level Model 3 RWD, called the Standard Range Plus (SR+), went from 55kWh to 60kWh. (via CNEvPost)
While the report cited unnamed sources, it seems credible based on CATL announcing last year their M3P batteries would begin production and deliveries to its customers in 2023. In addition to the range increase, the M3P battery packs are also cheaper, and one of the leading principles behind Project Highland is production and cost efficiencies.
Tesla hasn’t officially announced anything with regards to Project Highland, leaving fans to speculate on what might be coming based on sightings of test vehicles and reports from Tesla insiders. Based on these we believe the Model 3 refresh will be a complete overhaul from the original design, introducing a number of new features that were previously limited to the higher end Model S and Model X.
We may learn more soon however as Tesla has implemented drone restrictions at Giga Shanghai, suggesting the company is now testing the vehicles on the grounds of the factory.
