Tesla Model 3 gets updates and price reductions in Malaysia

Tesla’s Model 3 – the world’s bestselling fully electric sedan – has been given new hardware features, refreshed looks and added new variant.

Longest range
The new variant is the Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive which has a claimed range of up to 750 kms, the furthest of all Tesla models. Using a Supercharger at the peak charging rate of 250 kW DC, Tesla says that up to 311 kms of range can added within 15 minutes.

8 cameras for a better view
On the hardware side, the latest Model 3 now comes with a new front-facing camera to offer enhanced visibility for greater safety and easier parking. This means the camera-only system for Autopilot now has a total of 8 cameras.

Switching to stalk-activation
The older generation will remember when signalling intentions to make a turn were done by hand (and had to learn the signals to pass the driving test). Then stalks became common and have been for decades but some automakers tried different approaches. Tesla decided to activate the signals with buttons on the steering wheel… certainly odd for many drivers used to stalks.

The use of buttons for signal activation met with mixed reactions and in our view, it’s not entirely bad. Understandably, such a difference does make people uncomfortable as they would have been used to stalks. Perhaps someone who is driving for the very first time may not feel like that. But over time, people can get used to such differences, just as Proton Waja owners got used to the signal stalks being on the left side instead of the right, as in the majority of cars from Japan.

Anyway, Tesla has decided to return to convention and now has a stalk for the signals ‘for the ease and convenience of driving’. The stalk has only signal functions and unlike most stalks in other cars, does not also activate wipers or lights. They are also introduced in the latest Model Y.

Appearance-wise, the changes are minor – the logo badges are in matt black on the front and rear, which Tesla says gives a ‘futuristic look’.

Price reductions
The latest Model 3 is now available for ordering in Malaysia, with the base price of RM185,000. With the market for EVs being so competitive, Tesla Malaysia has adjusted its pricing and the standard Model 3 is cheaper by RM12,000 to RM169,000. The Model 3 Long-Range AWD, which has been priced from RM210,000 is now RM199,000, while the Model 3 Performance has had its price reduced by RM13,000 to start from RM229,000.

Tesla has officially delivered 10,000 electric cars in Malaysia