Tesla has officially unveiled its longest-range vehicle to date in China: a new Model 3 variant capable of traveling up to 830 CLTC kilometers (515 miles) on a single charge. 

Priced from RMB 269,500 ($37,490), the single-motor, long-range rear-wheel-drive Model 3 is expected to begin deliveries in September. 

The new Model 3 RWD at a glance

Equipped with a 78.4 kWh battery pack from LG Energy Solution, the new Model 3 variant surpasses the current Model 3 long-range all-wheel-drive version’s 753 CLTC-kilometer (468-mile) range and sets a new benchmark for the company’s global lineup. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 200 km/h.

The launch expands Tesla’s Model 3 offerings in China to four versions. The lineup now includes the entry-level rear-wheel drive variant, which is powered by CATL lithium iron phosphate batteries and starts at RMB 235,500, as well as the dual-motor long-range all-wheel-drive and performance all-wheel-drive versions priced at RMB 285,500 and RMB 339,500, respectively. 

Improved range upgrades

Tesla confirmed on Weibo that all Model 3 versions in China have now received range upgrades this year, part of a broader strategy to refresh its lineup. The company is launching the new variant amid intensifying competition in China’s electric vehicle market. 

From January to July, Tesla delivered 304,027 vehicles in China, a 6.32 percent decline year-on-year. The drop was driven largely by the Model Y’s sales of 202,257 units, which fell 17.15%, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The Model 3’s sales rose 26.54% to 101,770 units during the same period. To boost sales, Tesla is offering incentives on most Model 3 trims, including five years of interest-free financing, an RMB 8,000 discount on paint, and an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, among others.

Tesla’s insurance registrations in China surged to 13,400 units for the week of August 4–10, the highest weekly total so far in the third quarter of 2025. The figure represents a 21.8% increase from the prior week’s 11,000 registrations, as per industry tracking data.

Industry watchers weigh in

Data shared by industry watcher @piloly shows the latest week’s results were 21.8% higher than the previous week, though still down 13.5% year-over-year. After six weeks of Q3 2025, Tesla’s China registrations are tracking 70.9% higher quarter-over-quarter compared to Q2, but remain 11.0% below the same period in Q3 2024. Year-to-date, Tesla’s China registrations are down 6.1% versus 2024 levels.

Tesla China does not release its weekly domestic sales figures, though the company’s overall performance in the country can be inferred through insurance registration data. Fortunately, these registrations are closely tracked by industry watchers as well as automakers such as Li Auto.

More momentum

The August performance so far indicates Tesla may be regaining some momentum after a slower start to the year. Tesla’s sales figures this year have generally lagged behind 2024, thanks in no small part to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y, which was implemented in the United States, China, and Germany.

Tesla China seems to be doing what it can to attract as many customers as possible this quarter. Tesla recently launched a new long-range Model 3 variant in China with a CLTC-rated range of 830 km, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Priced at RMB 269,500 ($37,490), the model is about 14.44% more expensive than the entry-level version and becomes the longest-range Tesla on sale in the market. Tesla is also expected to launch the six-seat Model Y L in China this fall.

Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.

The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.

This video is going viral of a Cybertruck “de-activated” in the middle of the road. What’s wild is a lot of people are believing it. People’s hate for Tesla and Elon Musk seems to shadow their critical thinking skills.

It’s likely a YouTube video or something just playing on… pic.twitter.com/HJr00Umjbu

— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) August 11, 2025

The video shows a screen that says:

“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”

The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:

He also claims Tesla sent him a cease and desist letter because he made a song titled Cybertruck or something like that.

That’s why the error message in the video mentions a cease and desist. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/1zdtGApEfj

— Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) August 11, 2025

The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.

This is fake – that’s not our screen.

Tesla does NOT disable vehicles remotely. https://t.co/QFOLG74AJI

— Tesla (@Tesla) August 11, 2025

It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.

If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.