Higher temperatures increase the range of electric cars. We know that, but we were still surprised by how much the Tesla Model 3 has improved

The hot new item of winter 2023 was the modernized Tesla Model 3, which we first took a static look at and later subjected to a really big and thorough winter test. However, a few months have passed since then, one major innovation was added to the model and the weather also changed, which we used to compare with the winter consumption, in which the Model 3 positively excelled.

In principle, we will just remind you that the modernization of Model 3, which is now called Highland, was about a significant improvement of the aerodynamics of the car and a qualitative improvement of the materials inside, however, there was also the removal of levers under the steering wheel and the transfer of their functions to buttons.

Of course, this hasn’t changed in a few months, but the blinkers on the steering wheel can’t really be said to be uncomfortable. On the contrary, we happily got used to them again. However, one ailment remained, namely the complex flashing on roundabouts (provided you hold the steering wheel with both hands), which simply needs practice.

Otherwise, there is still only one default setting of recuperation, which is strong and until it stops. We think that the possibility of weaker recuperation would be welcomed by many tesla users, however, the car company usually does not listen to its customers.

The exception is the red diode located near the A-pillar indicating the car in the blind spot (one of the warning factors) on the Highland, as well as the recent introduction of the world’s best-selling car (Model Y) with rear-wheel drive and a long range of up to 600 km in optimal conditions.

Last time we also complained about the wipers, when the rain sensor sometimes stubbornly did not want to activate the wipers, while at other times it ran like a race. This remained the same, just as miserable. And what about the frequent error message from the cameras that, for example, the side camera cannot see or that it is shielded? This improved a bit, but not significantly.

The graphic interface of the parking assistant has undergone a change, which is somewhat strange, blurry, but it has retained the rendering of the distance from obstacles using colors as well. False alarms have also been improved, so the car no longer beeps in panic just because you’re standing close to the tire (but it will alert you).

In winter it was about 80%, today it is almost 95%. That’s how much the automatic choice of driving direction has been improved after starting the car. You simply sit down, step on the brake, and the electric car will choose the direction to go. And it must be added that they already vote practically flawlessly.

Voice control is also preserved, when you only need to say “open the glove box” and the passenger compartment will open. A still functional and practical gadget is Sentry Mode, i.e. camera surveillance and recording of the image every time someone hangs around the car. Although this function takes a few percent of the battery during the night, even if it is turned off by the user, if someone tries to open the trunk with a button, for example, the Sentry is activated and starts recording the surroundings of the car.

The biggest innovation, however, is the activation (hardware-wise, the cars were ready) of adaptive diode lights, because even in winter, the light sensor used the main lighting to dazzle the cars driving in front (in front of you).

Each manufacturer of adaptive lamps deals with the extinguishing of individual segments of the light flux a little differently – some extinguish the squares, while others elegantly and comprehensively adjust the light flux so that it is beautifully rounded around the vehicles driving and oncoming, i.e. it flows around their silhouette.

Similar to Lexus (although it technically solves it in an extremely complex way), Tesla has bet on extinguishing segments shaped into “square columns / very narrow rectangles”, while the right lamp from the driver’s point of view is oriented more vertically, while the left one is slanted.

The lighting resume is such that the glare of other road users has been eliminated for the most part, but it is still not a 100% perfect technology in practice, which of course also applies to other car brands. The difference is probably that Tesla will play with the light software continuously, while other manufacturers will only play with a new generation, better with a facelift, in the best case with a new model year.

We focused a lot on driving, especially consumption. Travel comfort has improved thanks to switching from winter tires to summer tires, especially in terms of acoustics, where it is really more noticeable that the manufacturer has installed improved acoustic glasses on the modernized electric car. And since the tires are no longer annoyingly noisy, traveling in the Highland is all the more pleasant.

By combined operation in highway (the largest share, speed around 120 km/h), district and city modes, we also got to the topic of energy efficiency, where we measured a decrease of 23.8% compared to the winter test! This means that a few months ago we drove the Model 3 Highland for 16.8 kWh per hundred, while in the spring we managed 12.8 kWh per hundred in a car of identical specifications, including color, only on summer tires of the same size.

And this is an absolutely great result for a medium-class vehicle, which gives it a spring combined real maximum range of around 450 km per charge, while in the winter test it was around 340 km.

Not even the competing Hyundai Ioniq 6 or the smaller MG4 Electric drive this economically. In short, Tesla has propulsion know-how, and it seems to work both in the winter and in the warmer months.

The car itself can also advise its driver how it could improve consumption, not only with graphs (for example, they tell you which appliance “eats” how much), but also with advice. For example, Tesla wrote to us during a test trip to Germany that if we kept the speed below 110 km/h, we would be able to save another five percent of energy.

We also tested charging, especially how much power the battery can take even when it’s almost full. However, we were pleased that even at 95% charge, the “Česák” station was running at 40 kW, then 35 kW. Charging to almost 100% in the tested basic version of the Tesla Model 3 with a LiFePO4 battery is not a tedious waiting hell.

By the way, a lot of people claim that LiFePO4 batteries should not be fully charged, that it harms them in the same way as regular lithium-ion batteries. But Tesla representatives confirmed to us that even the user manual for LiFePO4 models recommends charging the battery to 100% at least once a week.

Since we didn’t pay much attention to the rear entertainment system last time, we took a closer look at it now. It is a smaller touch screen, under which you will find the vents, which can be controlled using the touch interface. Simple, intuitive.

The back menu actually copies the front one, so you have apps like YouTube, Netflix, Twitch, Spotify, Apple Music, karaoke, a web browser, but also a collection of games – racing, strategy, Sudoku, more action-packed games.

Some games require a wireless controller to be connected to the car, perhaps a foreshadowing that the Steam app could also come to the Model 3 (the Models S and X can do this), opening up a huge world of video games, including the latest gems. Entertainment for children and adults on long journeys is guaranteed in one way or another, that is, if they do not suffer from motion sickness.

After all, remember how few people wanted to sit in the back middle of the car? So with the Model 3 after modernization it will probably be the other way around, as you have to lean more towards the center display from the side rear seats. On the other hand, those tablet holders in the headrests of other cars also have something to them, don’t you think?

In any case, the spring consumption of the Model 3 Highland once again confirmed to us that in terms of electromobility, Tesla is at a high level, although it does everything in its own way, so to speak, which may bother some. And in addition, thanks to the base price of CZK 1,053,990 and the car’s capabilities, it is more or less the best choice in its category, which you can further improve with four-wheel drive and a longer range (Long Range), for which you will pay CZK 1,253,990.