The new Tesla Model 3 Performance appears in a document: small disappointment expected?
There is still one version of the new Tesla Model 3 missing: the Performance. Extremely sporty, it has no longer been in the catalog since the beginning of September. It could soon return with an ever more impressive configuration as shown in this document.
When the updated versions of the Tesla Model 3 were announced, one variant was missing. The Tesla Model 3 Performance has disappeared from the online configurator, without any communication from the manufacturer. Only the Model 3 Propulsion and Long Autonomy are available, with a maximum speed of 201 km/h, and 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds in the best case. This is a far cry from what we knew with a Model 3 Performance, and it could come back even stronger than before.
A Model 3 Plaid that some people dream of
Since the announcement of the Tesla Model 3 Highland, certain rumors have been rife regarding the future of the Performance version. The Tesla Model With a motor for each rear wheel and a motor for the front axle, more than 1,000 horsepower are developed in total. The acceleration is insane: 2.1 seconds to reach 100 km/h in Tesla Model S Plaid, and 2.6 seconds in Model X Plaid.
Based on this observation, and not knowing what to expect from the Model 3 Performance, some started to imagine a Tesla Model 3 Plaid, with three engines. In such a configuration, the 3 second mark for 0 to 100 km/h would be easily reachedgiven the relative lightness of the Model 3 compared to the Model S.
However, it is very unlikely that Tesla will choose to equip its Model 3 Performance with a powertrain similar to a Model S or Model X Plaid. Indeed, it remains important for customers to be able to distinguish the range, and for Tesla to leave its flagship Model S and X above the much more affordable Model 3 and Model Y. As it stands, the choice between a Model S and a Model 3 is already not obvious, and if a Model 3 Plaid is made available, Model S sales risk suffering even more.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance would only have 2 engines
In addition, the Tesla Model 3 approval documents that were shared on X, as you can see above, reveal what some no longer dared to imagine: the Tesla Model 3 Performance will only have two engines . The eighth character of the VIN – Vehicle Identification Number – is the one that determines the version of Model 3 at Tesla, and on the new document dating from last July, four distinct letters are noted (JKST): the T is reserved for the Dual Motor – Performance version.
There is no no mention of a tri-motor version, putting an end to the rumor of a Model 3 Plaid. However, since the letter is now a T, we should expect a new rear engine, compared to that of the old Performance version.
We do not currently know when this Model 3 Performance will be available to order, or even its specifics. What we do know is that a tri-motor version is not currently in the program, and that this will remain reserved for the Model S and X.
