How many kWh does a Model 3 battery have?

It’s now been announced the Model 3 standard range will travel 490km in the standard range with a 54kWh battery. In other words, every kWh of electricity consumed will produce 9.1 km of range. This has the effect of also increasing it’s range per hour of charge both from an AC and DC charger.Single Phase 7kW Tesla Charging Station – This now will deliver a charging speed of 63.5 km / hour

Three Phase 11kW Tesla Charging Station– A staggering 100km / hour

This improved efficiency highlights the global trend of continuing battery improvements driving the EV industry forward. When you think about the advancements made by the internal combustion engines over time one can only see the long-term effect of research and development for the Tesla product line.

How many kWh does a Model 3 battery have?

Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

Battery and electric engine efficiency improvements also have the benefit of requiring less electricity to be generated to power the vehicle which has upstream benefits including

  • less CO2 emissions especially if powered by coal or gas fired electricity
  • Less electrical infrastructure required to power electric cars
  • Smaller batteries requiring fewer natural resources
  • Lower weight vehicles which then continues to feed energy efficiency
  • Improved range and overcoming the dreaded range anxiety issues
  • Finally, faster Tesla charging speeds for both AC and DC charging

The trend of Tesla to continuously improve their vehicle has not been lost on the Model 3 which has already seen a 30km improvement in range in the last 12 months alone. Further signals out of Tesla’s lab in California indicate a 100kW 900km range Model 3 in development.

The reason Tesla is extracting a high kilometre per kWh ratio is simple when compared to the car industry. Since 2008 Tesla has been developing a few key features

  1. Lightweight aluminium steel frame. This gives the vehicle a lower weight which translates into improved energy efficiency
  2. Battery density and performance. The Tesla battery just produces more power. Think your standard AA batteries
  3. Chassis developed for the electric drivetrain
  4. Lightweight heavy duty internal components further reducing weight

What’s clear is Tesla is aiming to be the first mass market EV to break the magic 10km / kWh mark and with it further expand it dominance in the sector. This will continue to translate into Tesla charging speed improvements and the overall satisfaction of its customers.

What’s important to note that there is electricity loss primarily due to heat when charging an electric car from a portable, wall box or DC charging station. Generally, a portable charger operating from standard Australian power point will exhibit electricity losses of up to 18% which an AC Tesla charging wallbox will show about 8-10% loss of electricity. The loss comes about from resistance in the copper of the cable and in conversion of AC to DC current with the vehicles on board charging system. DC chargers tend to be 93% efficient so about 7% is lost in the charging process.

A further benefit of EV charging is regenerative braking which helps the Tesla to recapture electricity to charge the battery. A Tesla delivers 65% of the supplied energy from the wall power to the road and then with the use of regenerative braking can reclaim up to 15% of that energy to help produce an overall efficiency of 80% according to US figure.

Jan 26, 2022 at 8:33am ET

The latest Made-in-China (MIC) Tesla Model 3 RWD (former Standard Range Plus/SR+) with about a 60 kWh LFP lithium-ion battery shines in Bjørn Nyland's range test.

The car has about a 60.5 kWh battery, out of which - according to the updated reading by the ScanMyTesla app - 57.5 kWh is usable. That's over 9% more than previously.

  • Capacity of the full pack (when new): 60.5 kWh (kind of initial/theoretical value)
  • Nominal full pack capacity: 60.4 kWh (total; net + buffer) vs 55.3 kWh (+9.2%)
  • Energy buffer: 2.7 kWh or 4.5% vs 2.5 kWh or 4.5% previously
    (between the current nominal value and usable value)
  • Usable full pack capacity: 57.5 kWh (net) vs 52.6 kWh previously
    * at "101% SOC" the ScanMyTesla app shown 58.4 kWh usable, out of 61.1 kWh nominal remaining (the values happens to fluctuate depending on various factors, and should be treated like a good estimate, rather than a perfect value).

In winter conditions (at about -3°C) with wet roads and with 18" Sailun Ice Blazer Arctic (235/45-18) tires, the new Tesla Model 3 had a noticeably higher efficiency and range than the previous version, as well as a long list of other cars.

At 90 km/h, the car achieved a range of 404 km (251 miles) - 99% covered and 1% estimated. That's almost 17% more than the previous version in the winter test (see full report here). The difference, higher than the increase in battery capacity, is partially related to 6.6% lower energy consumption at 142 Wh/km (228 Wh/mile).

This is a remarkable achievement that an entry-level electric Tesla can achieve roughly 400 km (250 miles) on a single charge in the winter.

By the way, according to the video, the new version is only slightly heavier - 1,860 kg vs 1,840 kg previously (including driver).

At 120 km/h (75 mph), the range decreased by 28% to 289 km (180 miles) as energy consumption increased by 40% to 199 Wh/km (320 Wh/mile), however, those are outstanding results, better than in the case of many other models with 20 kWh bigger battery packs.

Results at 90 km/h (56 mph)

  • range of 404 km (251 miles)
  • energy consumption of 142 Wh/km (228 Wh/mile)
  • used battery capacity: 57.5 kWh (estimated)
  • temperature of -3°C
  • 18" Sailun Ice Blazer Arctic (235/45-18)

Results at 120 km/h (75 mph); up 33% compared to 90 km/h:

  • range of 289 km (180 miles); down 28%
  • energy consumption of 199 Wh/km (320 Wh/mile); up 40%
  • used battery capacity: 57.5 kWh (estimated)
  • temperature of -3°C
  • 18" Sailun Ice Blazer Arctic (235/45-18)

Here is the report for the previous version for reference:

Results at 90 km/h (56 mph)

  • range of 346 km (215 miles)
  • energy consumption of 152 Wh/km (245 Wh/mile)
  • used battery capacity: 52.6 kWh (estimated)
  • temperature of 1°C
  • 18" Frigus EV Ice 3 (235/45-18)

Results at 120 km/h (75 mph); up 33% compared to 90 km/h:

  • range of 263 km (163 miles); down 24%
  • energy consumption of 202 Wh/km (325 Wh/mile); up 33%
  • used battery capacity: 52.6 kWh (estimated)
  • temperature of 1°C
  • 18" Frigus EV Ice 3 (235/45-18)

We are now eager to see how much the range might increase in summer conditions. Considering the previous test result, it might be close to 500 km (311 miles):

Results at 90 km/h (56 mph)

  • range of 443 km (275 miles)
  • energy consumption of 118 Wh/km (190 Wh/mile)
  • used battery capacity: 52.6 kWh (estimated)
  • temperature of 20°C
  • 18" Michelin PS4 (235/45-18)

Results at 120 km/h (75 mph); up 33% compared to 90 km/h:

  • range of 313 km (195 miles); down 29%
  • energy consumption of 168 Wh/km (270 Wh/mile); up 42%
  • used battery capacity: 52.6 kWh (estimated)
  • temperature of 19°C
  • 18" Michelin PS4 (235/45-18)

See also

Mark Kane

How many kilowatts does a Tesla 3 battery have?

Battery and Charging The battery of the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range has an estimated total capacity of 50 kWh. The usable capacity is 40 kWh (estimate). An estimated range of about 165 miles is achievable on a fully charged battery.

How many kW is a Tesla battery?

What Is The Capacity Of Tesla Powerwall? Tesla Powerwall is a 14kWh battery with 13.5kWh of usable energy storage.

How many kWh is the Tesla Model 3 long range?

The Model 3 Long Range used 75% of its 75-kWh battery, giving it a 224-mile (360 km) real-world range, while the Model 3 Performance used 77% of its 82-kWh battery for a real-world range of 218 miles (350 km).