Driving range also reduced for Model 3 Long Range and Performance variants sold in Australia
Australia’s top-selling electric vehicle, the 2022 Tesla Model 3, looks unlikely to repeat the runaway sales success it achieved last year with the US car-maker advising that delivery times have blown out to as much as seven months for orders placed today.
The market-leading EV brand’s local configurator shows that estimated waiting times are now between five and seven months for all Tesla Model 3 variants, which include the single-motor rear-wheel drive model (from $59,900 plus on-road costs) and two dual-motor all-wheel drive models – Long Range (from $73,200) and Performance (from $84,900).
Speaking of range, the configurator also now shows that both the Long Range and Performance models have, respectively, had their claimed WLTP-verified driving range reduced to 602km (down from 614km) and 547km (from 567km).
Tesla Model 3
No reasons for the downgrading have been given, but it’s at odds with the base-grade Model 3 that had its range increased to 491km last year (+43km) as the mid-size sedan – judged carsales’ Best Electric Car 2021 – switched to a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack in concert with a production shift to China.
These batteries are cheaper to produce than the previous lithium nickel-cobalt aluminium oxide (NCA) battery cells, but are heavier.
Tesla Model 3
The battery density increased from 50kWh to 62.3kWh in the base Model 3, while the Long Range climbed from 75kWh to 82kWh.
Depending on production schedules and a raft of other factors, the minimum five-to-seven-month wait for all Model 3 variants could make it difficult for Tesla to repeat its record annual sales result of 12,094 local deliveries achieved in 2021.
Australian buyers of other Tesla models face a longer delay, however, since there’s still no timing, pricing or local specs available for either the upgraded Tesla Model S luxury sedan or Model X large SUV.
Tesla Model S Plaid
These details were scrubbed from Tesla’s Australian website late last year and the company now simply says that “pricing and options will be finalised as delivery approaches”.
“You will be notified to complete your order when final pricing and options are published. Until then, your order will be considered a pre-order that you may cancel with a full refund,” Tesla says.
There is also no update for forthcoming models such as the Tesla Cybertruck ute that’s not expected here until 2024 at the earliest, or the Model Y crossover that was anticipated to launch in Australia in the first half of this year.
How much does the 2022 Tesla Model 3 cost?Model 3 – $59,900Long Range – $73,200Performance – $84,900
* Prices exclude on-road costs
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Keyword: Tesla Model 3 supplies dry up