‘Longest-Range EV in Australia’: 2026 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Defeats Range Anxiety

By Ben McKimm - News

Published: 8 Oct 2025

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Readtime: 3 min

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• Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD sets 750km WLTP benchmark
• Beats Polestar 2 and 3 for Australia’s longest-range EV title
• Priced from AUD$61,900, undercutting key Polestar and Tesla rivals
• Optional 19-inch wheels reduce range to 691km, still class-leading
• Refreshed Model 3 Performance gains a new NMC battery, 571km range

With up to 750km of WLTP range, the all-new 2026 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (AUD$61,900 before on-roads) can now claim the title as the longest-range EV in Australia.

Now available to order, it beats the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor (706km) and Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor (659km) for the title by a considerable margin. It signals a new era for EV range capabilities, the end of range anxiety for many, but it’s the price we keep returning to. It undercuts the aforementioned Polestar 2 by AUD$5,000 and is priced below the Long Range All-Wheel Drive model (AUD$64,900) and above the Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive model (AUD$54,900).

So what’s the catch? Well, the claimed WLTP range figure is for the smaller 18-inch Photon Wheels (included as standard), and the optional 19-inch Nova Wheels will drop the claimed range to 691km. This still beats the Polestar 2 and almost every EV on the market until the 2026 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron does (or doesn’t) arrive in our market with an equally impressive claimed 750km of WLTP range in overseas markets.

Next to the all-new model announcement, Tesla showcased a refreshed Model 3 Performance (AUD$80,900). It now has a new NMC (Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt) battery, a departure from the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery used in the model. This battery increases the WLTP range from 528km to 571km, but how this has affected charging speeds is unclear. The previous LFP battery had a quoted 10% to 80% charge of approximately 31 minutes at a 250kW Supercharger.

It still delivers 343kW of power and a blistering acceleration time of 3.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h before reaching a top speed of 261km/h.

Exterior colours, interior colours, and wheel options all remain the same for the 2026 model year, including:

Exterior colours:

• Pearl White Multi-Coat (included)
• Diamond Black (optional)
• Deep Blue Metallic (optional)
• Stealth Grey (optional)
• Quicksilver (optional)
• Ultra Red (optional)

Interior colours:

• Black Interior (included)
• White Interior (optional)

Wheels:

• 18-inch Photon Wheels (included)
• 19-inch Nova Wheels (optional)

In addition to the all-new model and changes to the Model 3 Performance battery, Tesla announced that Black Tesla Badging will be applied to every 2026 Model 3 for Australia and New Zealand.

Tesla Model 3s will continue to be built at the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai, China. Orders for the updated 2026 Tesla Model 3 line-up will be available from October 3rd, 2025. Test drives will start in late October, and deliveries will begin in November 2025.

We’ve consistently hailed the Tesla Model 3 as the best value-for-money EV we’ve tested, and this new model only elevates that. We’ve spent days behind the wheel for written reviews and videos. Most recently, we got back behind the wheel to test the vehicles’ Full Self-Driving (Supervised) capabilities. The range has been updated, and it only continues that legacy. You can check out the full lineup on the brand’s website, which is linked below.