Tesla increased the quoted range of the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 in Europe without announcing a larger battery, a different motor or a powertrain change. The WLTP figure rose from 534 to 572 km: an increase of 38 km, or approximately 7.1%.
The change described in this report applied to left-hand-drive European markets, including Italy. It came with a new wheel-and-tyre package: the previous 18-inch Photon wheels were replaced by 18-inch Prismata wheels paired with more efficient tyres.
38 km more without a larger battery
The notable point was that the quoted improvement did not come from additional battery capacity. Instead, Tesla revised the wheels and used tyres with lower rolling resistance. Reducing the energy needed to keep the car moving allows it to travel farther using the same stored energy.
The difference in the quoted WLTP result was substantial: 38 additional kilometres, from 534 to 572 km. The report described an optimisation of the existing rear-wheel-drive configuration rather than a separate new Model 3 variant.
The new 18-inch Prismata wheels
The change involved more than the tyres. On the rear-wheel-drive Model 3, the 18-inch Photon wheel was replaced by the 18-inch Prismata design, intended to improve aerodynamic efficiency alongside lower-rolling-resistance tyres.
Tesla has pursued efficiency gains through many relatively small changes, including aerodynamics, tyres, wheels and thermal management. Here, the difference in the quoted WLTP range was particularly clear: more than 7% without a larger battery.
The Italian configuration quoted 572 km
Italy was included in the change. At publication, Tesla’s Italian configurator listed 572 km WLTP for the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 with 18-inch wheels, together with a 0–100 km/h time of 6.2 seconds. The published European energy-consumption figure cited by the article was 12.2 kWh/100 km.
For buyers considering that configuration in Italy at the time, 572 km was therefore the advertised WLTP figure, rather than a future estimate. It is a laboratory-cycle value, not a promise of real-world range on every journey; specifications should be checked for the actual vehicle being ordered.
A small component change with a meaningful effect
The update illustrates how much wheels and tyres can influence an electric car’s efficiency. Rolling resistance, tread design, rubber compound, wheel weight and aerodynamics all affect energy use. Reducing those losses can add useful range without changing the battery technology.
The change did not cover every European market
The new figure applied to left-hand-drive European markets, including Italy, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The article reported a different position in right-hand-drive markets: the UK and Ireland still showed Photon wheels and the earlier 534 km figure at publication.
That distinction mattered because it pointed to a different physical wheel-and-tyre configuration for the affected markets, rather than a software update that would simply change the range displayed for existing cars.
What this says about electric-car efficiency
A larger battery is often the first solution considered when trying to increase an electric car’s range. But it can also add weight and cost, while requiring more energy to move the vehicle.
In this case, Tesla instead focused on getting more range from the same battery through improved efficiency. The additional 38 km showed the potential of optimising an established design. For the Italian rear-wheel-drive configuration described in the article, that meant 572 km WLTP compared with the previous 534 km.
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