Tesla Model 3
Photo: Alexander-93 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Since 2017 · In production

Tesla Model 3

Tesla's mid-size electric sedan, the car that turned a record wave of 2016 reservations into the first electric model to pass one million global sales.

The story of the Model 3

The Model 3 began as names on a list. When Tesla opened orders on March 31, 2016, about 180,000 people signed up in the first 24 hours, and within a week the count had passed 325,000. The benchmark people reached for was the 1955 Citroen DS, which took 12,000 orders on its first day and 80,000 deposits over the ten days of the Paris show. That record had stood for six decades, and the Model 3 beat it on day one.

Turning those reservations into cars took time. Serial number 1 rolled off the Fremont line on July 7, 2017, and the first 30 customer cars, all for Tesla employees, were handed over at a party on July 28. The earliest Model 3 in the EPA's listings is the 2018 Long Range, a single-motor rear-drive car rated at 310 miles and 130 MPGe. Dual-motor Long Range AWD and Performance versions joined it in the same model year, and by 2020 the Long Range AWD carried a 322-mile rating.

The car kept changing under its familiar shape. In October 2020 Tesla launched a refreshed 2021 Model 3 that gained a heat pump like the Model Y's, swapped the chrome trim for black, added a power trunk, and traded the glossy center console for a matte one. For used-car shoppers, that refresh is the clearest dividing line in the first generation.

By June 2021 the Model 3 had become the first electric car to pass one million global sales, with 1,031,588 delivered by the end of that quarter. On October 25, 2021, Hertz announced an order for 100,000 Teslas to be delivered by the end of 2022, a deal Bloomberg valued at about $4.2 billion (other reports said $4.4 billion) and the largest single electric vehicle purchase to that point. A week later Elon Musk tweeted that no contract had been signed yet. The story later ran in reverse: in January 2024 Hertz said it would sell about 20,000 electric cars, roughly a third of its US EV fleet, citing repair costs and depreciation, and it later booked a $195 million depreciation charge.

The Highland update, unveiled on September 1, 2023, was the boldest rethink of the cabin. Tesla removed the stalks, putting the turn signals on steering wheel buttons as it had on the Model S and Model X and moving gear selection to the touchscreen. Highland reached Europe and China in late 2023 and North America in January 2024. A new Performance model followed in 2024 with 510 horsepower, a 2.9-second 0-60 mph claim, and a 163 mph top speed, while the 2025 Long Range RWD earned an EPA rating of 363 miles.

Not every deletion stuck. Tesla's Lars Moravy conceded that the company had maybe deleted too much, and in August 2025 new Model 3 orders in China began arriving with a turn signal stalk again. US owners of 2024 and 2025 cars were offered a $595 retrofit that October, and 2026 Model 3s built in Fremont came with the stalk as standard. Only the turn signal stalk came back; drive, reverse, and park stayed on the touchscreen.

The newest chapter is about price. On October 7, 2025, Tesla added a Model 3 Standard at $36,990, rated at 321 miles with a 5.8-second 0-60 mph time. To hit that price it uses textile seats, a manually adjusted steering wheel, and no rear touchscreen or ambient lighting. The better-equipped cars now carry the Premium name, and the 2026 Model 3 Premium RWD keeps the 363-mile rating.

Generations

2017–2023 Original

The first-generation sedan that took a record wave of reservations, gained a heat pump and black trim in its 2021 model-year refresh, and became the first electric car to pass a million sales.

The first Model 3 was sold before anyone could drive one. Orders opened on March 31, 2016, and roughly 180,000 arrived within a day. By the end of the first week more than 325,000 people were waiting. The old reference point was the Citroen DS, which drew 12,000 orders on its first day at the 1955 Paris show and 80,000 deposits over ten days. The Model 3 broke that six-decade-old mark on day one.

Production started slowly. Serial number 1 left the Fremont line on July 7, 2017, and went to Elon Musk. On July 28 Tesla handed the first 30 customer cars to its own employees at a party at the factory. The first cars the EPA rated were 2018 model-year Long Range sedans with a single motor driving the rear wheels, rated at 310 miles and 130 MPGe. Dual-motor Long Range AWD and Long Range AWD Performance entries appeared in the same model year, and by 2020 the Long Range AWD was rated at 322 miles.

The most important mid-life change arrived in October 2020, when Tesla launched the 2021 Model 3. It added a heat pump like the one in the Model Y, replaced the chrome trim with black, added a power trunk and double-paned windows, and swapped the glossy black center console for a matte finish. Cars built from that point are the ones to look for if cold-weather efficiency matters. In October 2022 Tesla also stopped fitting ultrasonic parking sensors to North American and European Model 3s, relying on cameras instead.

Scale followed. In June 2021 the Model 3 became the first electric car to pass one million global sales, and the tally reached 1,031,588 by the end of that quarter. On October 25, 2021, Hertz announced an order for 100,000 Teslas, valued by Bloomberg at about $4.2 billion, although Elon Musk tweeted a week later that no contract had been signed. That fleet bet unwound in January 2024, when Hertz said it would sell about 20,000 electric cars, citing repair costs and depreciation. The first-generation car gave way to the Highland update in 2023.

2023–present Highland

A deep update that removed the stalks and moved gear selection to the touchscreen, brought back a 510-horsepower Performance model, and later added a lower-priced Standard trim and a returning turn signal stalk.

Highland was the Model 3's first full redesign. Tesla unveiled it on September 1, 2023, and sold it first in Europe and China, with deliveries starting in the fourth quarter. North American orders opened in January 2024, when the Long Range AWD started at $45,990 with a 341-mile EPA rating. The headline change was inside. Tesla removed the stalks and put the turn signals on buttons on the steering wheel, the approach it had already taken on the Model S and Model X, and moved drive, reverse, and park to the center touchscreen. Ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, and an 8-inch screen for rear passengers came with it, and the trunk lid traded the T badge for the Tesla name.

A new Performance version arrived in 2024. Its new drive unit gave the car 510 horsepower, 32 percent more peak power than the previous Performance, and Tesla quoted 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds with a 163 mph top speed. Tesla added adaptive dampers and a new Track Mode. The Long Range RWD version went furthest, rated by the EPA at 363 miles and 137 MPGe for 2025.

The stalk decision proved the most contested part of the update. Lars Moravy said Tesla had maybe deleted too much, and in August 2025 new Model 3 orders in China began arriving with a turn signal stalk as standard, with a 2,499 yuan (about $350) retrofit offered for cars built after February 7, 2025. In October 2025 Tesla began selling a $595 retrofit to US owners of 2024 and 2025 cars, covering the stalk, a new steering wheel, a column module, and installation. By then Fremont had started building 2026 Model 3s with the stalk as standard. The gear selector stayed on the screen.

On October 7, 2025, Tesla added the Model 3 Standard for the 2026 model year at $36,990. It is rated at 321 miles and reaches 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. It gives up the vegan leather for textile seats, adjusts its steering wheel by hand, and drops the rear touchscreen, ambient lighting, and double-pane windows. The better-equipped cars became the Premium line, and the 2026 Premium RWD is rated at 363 miles.

Variants

Years Variant Drive Battery EPA range 0–60 mph Top speed
2018 Model 3 Long Range Rear-wheel drive — 310 mi — —
2018 Model 3 Long Range AWD All-wheel drive — — — —
2018 Model 3 Long Range AWD Performance All-wheel drive — — — —
2020 Model 3 Long Range Rear-wheel drive — — — —
2020 Model 3 Long Range AWD All-wheel drive — 322 mi — —
2020 Model 3 Performance AWD All-wheel drive — — — —
2024 Model 3 Performance (Highland) All-wheel drive — — 2.9 s 163 mph
2024 Model 3 Long Range AWD (Highland) All-wheel drive — 341 mi — —
2025 Model 3 Long Range RWD Rear-wheel drive — 363 mi — —
2025 Model 3 Long Range AWD All-wheel drive — — — —
2025 Model 3 Performance AWD All-wheel drive — — — —
2026 Model 3 Standard RWD Rear-wheel drive — 321 mi 5.8 s —
2026 Model 3 Premium RWD Rear-wheel drive — 363 mi — —

Each variant name links to the source for its figures. A dash means no reliable published figure.

EPA ratings

Year Trim Drive Range MPGe (comb.) Source
2018 Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive 310 mi 130 EPA
2020 Model 3 Long Range AWD All-Wheel Drive 322 mi 121 EPA
2025 Model 3 Long Range AWD All-Wheel Drive 346 mi 128 EPA
2025 Model 3 Long Range RWD Rear-Wheel Drive 363 mi 137 EPA
2025 Model 3 Performance AWD All-Wheel Drive 298 mi 109 EPA
2026 Model 3 Performance All-Wheel Drive 309 mi 114 EPA
2026 Model 3 Performance AWD All-Wheel Drive 314 mi 111 EPA
2026 Model 3 Premium AWD All-Wheel Drive 346 mi 128 EPA
2026 Model 3 Premium RWD Rear-Wheel Drive 363 mi 137 EPA
2026 Model 3 Standard RWD Rear-Wheel Drive 321 mi 139 EPA

Selected EPA ratings from fueleconomy.gov. Wheel size and trim change the rating, so check the EPA listing for an exact car.

What changed, year by year

  1. 2016 Orders open

    Tesla opened Model 3 orders on March 31, 2016. About 180,000 arrived in 24 hours and more than 325,000 in the first week, beating the Citroen DS, which took 80,000 deposits over ten days in 1955.

    Source
  2. 2017 First deliveries

    Serial number 1 left the Fremont line on July 7, 2017. The first 30 customer cars went to Tesla employees at a handover party on July 28.

    Source
  3. 2018 First EPA-rated Model 3

    The 2018 model-year Model 3 Long Range, a rear-drive single-motor car, was rated at 310 miles and 130 MPGe. Long Range AWD and AWD Performance versions were listed for the same model year.

    Source
  4. 2020 Long Range AWD reaches 322 miles

    For the 2020 model year the Model 3 Long Range AWD was rated at 322 miles.

    Source
  5. 2021 2021 model-year refresh: heat pump and black trim

    Launched in October 2020, the 2021 Model 3 added a heat pump, black exterior trim in place of chrome, a power trunk, double-paned windows, and a matte center console.

    How to recognize it: Black window surrounds and door handles instead of chrome point to a 2021 model-year or later car (check the build date, since some owners wrap the trim).

    Source
  6. 2021 One million sold

    In June 2021 the Model 3 became the first electric car to pass one million global sales, reaching 1,031,588 deliveries by the end of the second quarter.

    Source
  7. 2021 Hertz order announced

    On October 25, 2021, Hertz announced an order for 100,000 Teslas by the end of 2022, valued at about $4.2 billion by Bloomberg and $4.4 billion in other reports. A week later Elon Musk tweeted that no contract had been signed yet. In January 2024 Hertz said it would sell about 20,000 of its EVs.

    Source
  8. 2022 Ultrasonic sensors removed

    From October 2022 Tesla built Model 3s for North America, Europe, Taiwan, and the Middle East without the 12 ultrasonic parking sensors, relying on cameras (Tesla Vision). Park Assist, Autopark, and Summon were disabled at first.

    How to recognize it: No small round sensor ports in the front and rear bumpers.

    Source
  9. 2023 Highland unveiled

    Tesla unveiled the Highland Model 3 on September 1, 2023, and sold it first in Europe and China. It removed the stalks, put turn signals on steering wheel buttons, moved gear selection to the touchscreen, and added ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, and an 8-inch rear screen.

    How to recognize it: Slim headlights, the Tesla name spelled out on the trunk lid instead of the T badge, and no stalks on 2024 and 2025 US cars.

    Source
  10. 2024 Highland reaches North America

    North American orders opened in January 2024. The Long Range AWD started at $45,990 with a 341-mile EPA rating.

    Source
  11. 2024 New Performance model

    The Highland Performance arrived with a new drive unit, 510 hp, adaptive dampers, a 2.9-second 0-60 mph claim, and a 163 mph top speed.

    Source
  12. 2025 363-mile Long Range RWD

    The 2025 Long Range RWD was rated at 363 miles and 137 MPGe on its standard wheels, or 346 miles on 19-inch wheels.

    Source
  13. 2025 Turn signal stalk returns

    From August 2025, new Model 3 orders in China came with a turn signal stalk as standard, with a 2,499 yuan retrofit for earlier cars. In October 2025 Tesla began selling a $595 retrofit to US owners of 2024 and 2025 cars. The gear selector stayed on the touchscreen.

    How to recognize it: A turn signal stalk on a 2024 or 2025 Highland car may be a retrofit; there is still no gear stalk.

    Source
  14. 2026 Stalk standard, Standard and Premium trims

    2026 Model 3s built in Fremont came with the turn signal stalk as standard. Announced October 7, 2025, the Model 3 Standard costs $36,990 and is rated at 321 miles, with 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds. The better-equipped cars became the Premium line, with the Premium RWD rated at 363 miles.

    How to recognize it: The Standard has textile seats and no rear touchscreen.

    Source

Did you know

Safety recalls

NHTSA lists 33 recall campaigns that include the Model 3. 19 of them were fixed by an over-the-air software update, with no service visit needed. The most recent:

Model 3 recall campaigns, with NHTSA's summaries →
Model 3 owner tips Hidden features, practical tips, and what to do when the 12-volt battery dies Story Inside the Model 3 Ramp That Nearly Broke Tesla From reservation lines in 2016 to an assembly line under a tent in 2018, the Model 3 ramp tested Tesla's factory, its workers and its finances. Story From NUMMI to Cybercab: How Tesla Built Its Factories A shuttered joint venture plant in California, a battery factory in the Nevada desert, and new plants in Shanghai, Germany and Texas turned a small carmaker into one of the world's largest manufacturers, and a factory in Mexico still waits. Story From Six Superchargers to the Continent's Plug Tesla built a private fast-charging network for the Model S in 2012. Twelve years later its connector was an SAE standard, rival brands were plugging in, and the team that ran it had been fired and partly rehired.

Model 3 links

Sources

  1. Electrek: Model 3 reservations timeline
  2. Autoblog: 180,000 Model 3 orders in 24 hours
  3. Wikipedia: Citroen DS
  4. Digital Trends: Model 3 deliveries start
  5. fueleconomy.gov: 2018 Model 3 Long Range
  6. fueleconomy.gov: 2020 Model 3 Long Range AWD
  7. Electrek: Tesla launches Model 3 2021 refresh
  8. Green Car Reports: Tesla drops ultrasonic sensors
  9. CleanTechnica: Model 3 has passed 1 million sales
  10. Electrek: Hertz orders 100,000 Teslas
  11. Nasdaq/Reuters: Musk says no Hertz contract signed yet
  12. Axios: Hertz selling 20,000 EVs
  13. Not a Tesla App: Tesla announces Model 3 Highland
  14. electrive: Model 3 Highland launches in North America
  15. Motor1: new Model 3 Performance
  16. Cars.com: 2024 Model 3 Performance, 510 hp
  17. fueleconomy.gov: 2025 Model 3 Long Range RWD
  18. Not a Tesla App: Tesla brings back turn signal stalk
  19. CnEVPost: stalk returns to Model 3 in China
  20. InsideEVs: $595 US turn signal retrofit
  21. Tesla North: 2026 Model 3 built at Fremont with stalk
  22. CNBC: Tesla prices Standard Model Y and Model 3
  23. InsideEVs: features cut from the Standard trims
  24. Edmunds: 2026 Model 3 specs
  25. Model 3 Long Range AWD
  26. Model 3 Long Range AWD Performance
  27. Model 3 Long Range
  28. Model 3 Long Range AWD
  29. Model 3 Performance AWD
  30. Model 3 Long Range AWD
  31. Model 3 Performance AWD
  32. Model 3 Standard RWD
  33. Source
  34. Source
  35. Source

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