The new Tesla Model 3 has been officially approved by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, paving the way for the updated electric sedan to go on sale in the country.
According to the official documents posted to the Ministry’s website on Tuesday, the dimensions of the two Model 3 variants listed are the same at 4,720mm length, 1,848mm width, and a height of 1,442mm. Both have a top speed 200km/h (125mph), both have the same wheelbase at 2,875mm, but they differ when it comes to listed weights.
The variant listed as having a (ternary) lithium ion battery has a total weight of 2,225kg and a curb weight of 1,823kg, while the other with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery has a total weight of 2,192kg and a curb weight of 1,760kg. Typically the LFP batteries are heavier, but the difference in weight here with the LFP being lighter is likely due to the extra motor in the Dual Motor all-wheel drive (AWD) variant compared to the single motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) variant.
The documents also reveal the Model 3 RWD has 194 kW of power while the Model 3 AWD has a second 137kW motor, resulting in a maximum power of 331 kW.
One interesting change is that photos of the AWD variant show a new ‘Model 3+’ badge. We are not sure if this holds any significance beyond the fact it has the extra motor.
The reason these documents were posted to the Ministry’s website is because every car must be approved by the government agency before being allowed to go on sale. We have seen similar documents posted before the original launch of the Model 3 and Model Y after they went through the local homologation process.
With the approval we should expect to see the first deliveries of the Model 3 Highland in China in October.
