New Tesla Model 3 Long Range goes over 400 miles between charges

Most efficient Tesla model built to date is on sale now priced at £44,990

The new Tesla Model 3 goes up to 436 miles and costs from £44,990 (Tesla)

Hot on the heels of the longest-range Model Y ever announced last week, Tesla has announced a new Model 3 with the longest range ever for a Model 3 – a claimed maximum of 436 miles.

As predicted in our story on the new 373-mile Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y, the new Model 3 drops the all-wheel drive of the current longest-range car in favour of a two-wheel drive system, again powering the rear wheels. The lighter weight of the single motor contributes to the boost in efficiency – up 46 miles from the 390 mile range in the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive car.

But while the driving range in the new Model 3 has gone up, the price has gone down – the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 will cost £44,990, a £5,000 saving over the all-wheel drive model which remains on sale.

The new Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive car is also the most efficient Tesla built to date, managing an impressive 4.97m/kWh. That means on a smart energy tariff like E.ON Next Drive when you can charge at just 6.7p per kWh between the hours of midnight and 7am, the cost per 100 miles of travel will be just £1.35.

Tesla claims that makes the new car the most efficient EV available in Europe today, saying that the Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive will travel for a full kilometre using the same amount of energy it takes to heat a frozen meal in a microwave.

The latest edition to the Model 3 range benefits from all the upgrades that came into effect with the Model 3 earlier this year with revised styling, better quality in the cabin, improved sound deadening and work to improve ride quality. It also comes with the standard nine-speaker audio system, a second eight-inch display in the back for rear-seat passengers to control climate and entertainment settings, and heated seats in the front and back of the car.

The Tesla Model 3 is currently our favourite EV on sale in the UK (Tesla)

The Model 3 line-up now comprises the entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive model at £39,990 with 318-miles of range, the new Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive at £44,990 with a 436-mile range, the Long Range All-Wheel Drive car at £44,990 that will go 390 miles and the Performance All-Wheel Drive car at £59,990 with a 328-mile range and 0-60mph time of 2.9 seconds.

The Tesla Model 3 currently sits at the top of The Independent’s list of best electric cars.