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Tesla Model 3 actually has 334 miles of range according to EPA data

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Tesla states that its Long Range Model 3 is capable of 310 miles of driving range per single charge, but the company might be voluntarily under reporting its true driving range according to data revealed in the official EPA certification summary report for the vehicle.

First it’s important to understand how the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates electric vehicle driving range using a 5-cycle procedure to determine its MPGe rating. The EPA multiplies an electric vehicle’s ideal city and highway range value by a 0.7 factor to account for real world environmental conditions such as wind resistance and other variables that contribute to increased energy consumption. Both city and highway range values are then weighted by 55% and 45% respectively, before being added together and arriving at the vehicle’s true EPA-rated range.

In the instance of Tesla’s Long Range Model 3 that reportedly uses an 80kWh battery pack, the EPA’s multi-cycle test procedure yields 495.04 actual miles attained in city driving conditions and 454.64 miles in highway testing. Using the EPA’s .7 factor and weighted formula, we can arrive at the following Model 3 city and highway true driving range.

Long Range Tesla Model 3 City/Hwy range

  • 495.04 miles x .7 = 346.528 miles (~557.68 kilometers)
  • 454.64 miles x .7 = 318.248 miles (~512.17 kilometers)

Model 3 EPA-Rated Combined Range

  • (346.528 x .55) + (318.248 * .45) = 333.8 miles (537.2 kilometers)

 

The Long Range Model 3’s EPA-rated 334 miles of driving range is a far departure from the company’s stated 310-mile range. Why?

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According to discussion taking place on the Model 3 Owners Club forum, it’s believed that Tesla is voluntarily reducing the vehicle’s combined range from 334 miles to 310 miles – something that automakers are able to do according to EPA guidelines.

Tesla is voluntarily under reporting Model 3’s driving range likely to further differentiate it from the company’s Model S 100D that has a stated EPA driving range of 335 miles per single charge, but at a price point that’s roughly double that of Model 3. Incidentally, EPA data for Model S suggests that Tesla has also voluntarily lowered the vehicle’s EPA-rated range. The Model S 100D has a true range of 341 miles (~549 kilometers) but under reported at 335 miles (539 kilometers), according to the EPA’s Certification Information Summary Report for Model S.

We’ve embedded the Model 3 EPA report below. Why do you think Tesla is under reporting Model 3’s true range?

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Tesla-Model-3-EPA-CSI-HTSLV00.0L13.pdf”]

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Gene has been obsessed with cars since before he could legally sit in the front seat. Writer, researcher, unofficial CS support, accountant, native suit guy when needed, and overall stick poker. He approaches every story the way he approaches a road trip: with too much enthusiasm, not enough planning, and a surprisingly good outcome. gene@teslarati.com

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Tesla gathers Cybercab fleet in Gigafactory Texas

Images and video of the Cybercab fleet were shared by longtime Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer in posts on social media platform X.

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Credit: Credit: @JoeTegtmeyer/X

Tesla appears to be assembling a growing number of Cybercabs at Gigafactory Texas as preparations continue for the vehicle’s mass production. Recent footage shared online has shown over 30 Cybercabs being transported by trucks or staged near testing areas at the facility.

The images and video were shared by longtime Giga Texas observer and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer in posts on social media platform X.

Interestingly enough, Tegtmeyer noted that many of the Cybercabs being loaded onto transport trucks were still equipped with steering wheels. This suggests that the vehicles are likely testing units rather than the final driverless configuration expected for the company’s Robotaxi service.

The vehicles could potentially be headed to testing sites across the United States as Tesla prepares to expand its Robotaxi fleet.

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Additional footage captured at Gigafactory Texas also showed the Cybercab’s side and rear camera washer system operating as vehicles were being loaded onto transport trucks.

The growing number of Cybercabs at Giga Texas comes amidst the company’s announcement that the first production Cybercab has been produced at the facility. Full Cybercab production is expected to begin in April.

The vehicle is expected to play a central role in Tesla’s Robotaxi ambitions as the company looks to expand autonomous ride-hailing operations beyond its early deployments using Model Y vehicles.

Tesla has also linked Cybercab production to its proposed Unboxed manufacturing process, which assembles large vehicle modules separately before integrating them. The approach is intended to reduce production costs and accelerate output.

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Musk has also noted that the Cybercab’s ramp will likely begin slowly due to the number of new components and manufacturing steps involved. However, he stated that once the process matures, Cybercab production could scale quickly.

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Elon Musk’s xAI, creator of Grok and Grokipedia, celebrates its third birthday

xAI Memphis highlighted several of its milestones over the years in its celebratory post. 

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Credit: xAI

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI has marked its third anniversary. The update was shared in a post from the xAI Memphis account on social media platform X.

xAI Memphis highlighted several of its milestones over the years in its celebratory post

As per xAI, it has built three massive data centers in the city, launched a coherent cluster of 330,000 GBs, created over 3,000 jobs, and paid over $30 million in taxes to local communities.

xAI’s Memphis operation has become a key part of the company’s infrastructure as the company works to train and deploy its Grok artificial intelligence models. Elon Musk has been quite optimistic about Grok’s potential, noting in the past that the large language model might have a shot at achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). 

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xAI’s Memphis’ crown jewel is its Colossus supercomputer cluster. The project was announced in 2024 and has since become the home of one of the world’s largest AI compute facilities. The first phase of Colossus reached its initial 100,000 GPU operational milestone in just 122 days, or just about four months.

Industry figures such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have praised the facility, noting that projects of similar scale typically take two to four years to complete.

xAI has cited Memphis’ central location, skilled workforce, and industrial infrastructure as key reasons for selecting the city as the home of its AI training operations. The company has also emphasized plans to expand the site further as it scales compute capacity for Grok and future AI models.

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Tesla Sweden’s Megapack Supercharger near Arlanda continues to aggravate IF Metall union

The charging site, located in Arlandastad outside Stockholm, appears to be operating despite ongoing union blockade measures tied to Tesla’s labor dispute in the country.

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Credit: Tesla Charging/X

Tesla Sweden’s Megapack-powered Supercharger station near Arlanda Airport has continued to aggravate Swedish labor union IF Metall. The charging site, located in Arlandastad outside Stockholm, appears to be operating despite ongoing union blockade measures tied to Tesla’s labor dispute in the country.

Comments about the site were shared by IF Metall representatives in remarks to Swedish publication CarUp.

The Arlandastad location includes eight Tesla Superchargers powered by a Megapack battery system. Unlike traditional charging stations that rely on direct grid connections, the site uses a large battery installation to store electricity and power the chargers.

According to the Swedish publication, the setup allowed the station to come online despite sympathy measures from Sweden’s electricians’ union, which has attempted to prevent companies from cooperating with Tesla as part of the broader labor conflict.

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IF Metall press manager Jesper Pettersson indicated that the union was not aware that the Superchargers had already been connected and activated.

“We do not know the details around this. But it is further proof of how Tesla systematically finds loopholes to circumvent the sympathy measures through active strikebreaking. Every time this happens it gives us reason to sharpen our conflict measures,” Pettersson said.

Union representatives also noted that the Megapack appears to be charged using electrical cables routed through nearby terrain, though the exact power source remains under review.

The Megapack-powered site has then prompted questions from Swedish labor unions about how electricity is being supplied to the system.

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IF Metall has submitted a report to Sweden’s Energy Market Inspectorate asking the regulator to review whether the electricity supply arrangement complies with national regulations. The Megapack is reportedly charged using electricity from a local company, though the provider has not been publicly identified.

Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, previously stated that Swedish law limits electricity trading to companies with proper authorization.

“The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this… 

“This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.

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IF Metall and Tesla Sweden’s conflict has been going on for over two years now. 

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