Tesla China is upgrading each of its Model Model 3s with a larger 16-inch touchscreen and adding a new light gray interior option; at the same time, the company has also enabled an external AC power output function of up to 2.2 kilowatts across its entire Model Model 3 and Model Y product lines in the Chinese market.
The US version Model does not have these updates. The Tesla US version Model 3 is still equipped with a 15.4-inch display, and it also does not have the vehicle-to-vehicle power supply feature that Tesla launched in the US in August of this year.
What changes are there in the Chinese market?
On October 1st, Tesla released four marketing posters through its official Chinese channels, announcing these changes.
The most significant hardware change is the central control display screen. Currently, every model of Model 3 available in China is equipped with a 16-inch touchscreen, which is larger than the previous 15.4-inch screen. Tesla claims that the new screen has a higher resolution and a higher refresh rate, but they did not provide specific numbers.
The second change is in the exterior configuration. Chinese consumers can now opt for a light gray "premium interior," with Tesla matching it with a black fabric ceiling. This is the same approach Tesla adopted in January this year on the American version of the Model Y Premium, when that model was upgraded with a black ceiling and a 16-inch screen, and this feature is now also available for the 2026 model of the Model Y.
In addition, there is also a power output function. Every Model 3 and Model Y currently on sale in China can output up to 2,200 watts of alternating current. Tesla gives an example that in a camping scenario, one can simultaneously operate a 600-watt rice cooker, a 1-kilowatt hot pot, and a 600-watt electric kettle.
Car owners need to purchase a Tesla AC external speaker adapter to use this feature. The only exception is the three-row Model Y L model, which does not require an adapter.
More discounts available when stacked together.
These upgrades are also being introduced alongside a new round of car purchase incentives. Orders placed before October 31 for Model can enjoy a reduction of 5,000 yuan from the final payment, which is approximately 740 US dollars.
Tesla also offers a 5-year zero-interest financing plan (down payment of 79,900 yuan, monthly payments starting from approximately 2,377 yuan), an insurance subsidy of 8,000 yuan for the rear-wheel-drive version, the long-range rear-wheel-drive version, and the long-range four-wheel-drive version, a car paint subsidy of 8,000 yuan, as well as any one of three charging benefits.
Even with discounts, its price is still higher than BYD's newly launched Formula S, which has a starting price of 189,900 yuan for its rear-wheel-drive sedans.
Competition in the Chinese market is fierce, and Tesla is prioritizing the launch of new features and incentive measures locally.
US version Model is 3 points behind
In the United States, the starting price of the Model is $36,990, and Tesla's own configuration page still indicates that it is equipped with a 15.4-inch central control touchscreen.
The larger gap lies in V2L. When Tesla introduced the vehicle's power supply function to the United States in August this year, it was limited to Model Y Premium, Model Y Performance, and Cybertruck, with a power of 2.4 kilowatts, and required an adapter that costs $80 and is used for the third-generation mobile connector. The entire US version of the Model 3 series was excluded from this feature. In China, all Model 3 models can use this function.
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