These two share a drivetrain, a charging architecture and a network. The Model 3 travels 555 km observed against the Model Y’s 455 — a hundred kilometres — because a saloon pushes less air than an SUV. The Model Y carries more and sits higher. That is the whole decision, and it is unusually clean.
What actually differs
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD goes 100 km further on the observed real-world figure than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
- On the EPA highway cycle – the one that decides a long drive – Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is rated 39 km further than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is 16% more efficient than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, which is what the electricity bill follows.
- Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD charges from 10 to 80 per cent 1 minutes faster than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD carries 4 kWh more usable battery than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is 173 kg lighter than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD is 0 seconds quicker to 100 km/h than the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD.
Every line above is computed from the table below, not written: a difference is only stated where both cars carry that figure from a named source.
| Specification | Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD Tesla | Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD Tesla |
|---|---|---|
| Market & identity | ||
| Curb weight | 4,187 lb | 4,568 lb |
| Battery | ||
| Cell chemistry LFP tolerates daily charging to 100% and is the most thermally stable; NMC and NCA pack more energy per kilogram. | NMC | NMC |
| Usable capacity The figure every range and cost calculation on this site is based on. | 79.0 kWh | 75.0 kWh |
| Thermal management Active liquid or direct-refrigerant cooling is the strongest single predictor of slow degradation and repeatable fast charging. | liquid-active | liquid-active |
| Pack voltage 800 V architectures hold high charging power for longer and waste less energy as heat. | — | 357 V |
| Capacity loss per year Rate for this vehicle class from published fleet datasets, not a measurement of this model and not a manufacturer claim. | 2.0% / year est | 2.7% / year est |
| Projected state of health at 8 years Modelled from the observed degradation rate at average annual mileage. An estimate, not a measurement. | 84% est | 78% est |
| Range & efficiency | ||
| EPA range US EPA combined cycle, the most conservative of the three official tests. | 346 mi | 327 mi |
| EPA range, city The city half of the EPA combined rating. Usually the higher of the two for an electric car. | 360 mi | 345 mi |
| EPA range, highway The highway half of the EPA combined rating, and the figure to plan a long drive around. | 329 mi | 305 mi |
| WLTP range European combined cycle, typically 15 to 25 percent more optimistic than EPA for the same car. | 445 mi | 364 mi |
| Observed real-world range Mixed-conditions figure from independent testing. This is the number that matters on a road trip. | 345 mi | 283 mi |
| EPA consumption | 26.4 kWh/100 mi | 27.5 kWh/100 mi |
| Real-world consumption | 229 Wh/mi | 266 Wh/mi |
| Charging | ||
| Peak DC power Held briefly, often only inside a narrow state-of-charge window. | 250 kW | 250 kW |
| 10 to 80 percent DC charge time The honest measure of fast-charging speed. | 28 min | 27 min |
| AC onboard charger Sets how fast the car fills up overnight at home. | 11 kW | 11 kW |
| DC connector (Europe) | CCS2 | — |
| DC connector (US) The plug fitted to the car as sold in the United States. Blank where we have not sourced it for that market. | NACS | NACS |
| Performance | ||
| Peak power | 366 kW | 378 kW |
| 0-60 mph | — | — |
| 0-100 km/h | 4.4 s | 4.8 s |
| Cost of ownership | ||
| Base MSRP (US) | — | — |
| Base price (EU) | €50,990 | €52,990 |
| Est. out-of-warranty pack replacement (US) | — | $12,400 est |
| Battery warranty | 8 yr | 8 yr |
| Est. 5-year residual value | — | — |
| Safety & risk | ||
| NHTSA overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Euro NCAP overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Battery or high-voltage recalls | 5 | 7 |
| Battery safety score | ||
| Composite score Our own composite of thermal management, cell chemistry, crash rating and recall record. Formula | 6.5 / 10 | 6.5 / 10 |
highlighted marks the better figure for that row. Where a car is not sold in a market, its price and official range for that market are blank rather than converted. est marks a modelled value, explained on the methodology page.
A hundred kilometres, bought with aerodynamics
555 km observed against 455 km. The Model 3 carries 79 kWh usable and the Model Y 75, so four kilowatt-hours of the gap is battery — the other ninety-odd kilometres come from consumption: 142 Wh/km against 165, a 14 percent difference.
Above roughly 80 km/h, aerodynamic drag dominates energy use, and drag scales with frontal area. A taller car with a bigger frontal area uses more energy at motorway speed no matter how good its motors are. This is not a Tesla-specific effect: the same pattern separates the Ioniq 6 from the Ioniq 5, which share running gear and differ by 29 Wh/km.
On the official cycles: 716 km WLTP against 586, and 346 miles EPA against 327. Both cycles agree on the direction; they disagree sharply on the size, which is what you would expect from a laboratory cycle and a road-load cycle measuring the same aerodynamic difference.
Everything else is close to identical
250 kW peak charging on both. 28 minutes against 27 over the 10-80 percent window. 493 Nm on both. 366 kW against 378 kW, and 4.4 seconds against 4.8 to 100 km/h. Five stars from NHTSA and five from Euro NCAP on both. The same connector, the same network, the same software.
In the UK the Model 3 lists at £49,990 against £51,990, and in Germany at €50,990 against €52,990. Two thousand in either currency, in the saloon’s favour.
Which one should you buy
Buy the Model 3 unless you need the space. It goes a hundred kilometres further, costs less to buy and 14 percent less to charge per kilometre, and gives up nothing else.
Buy the Model Y if you need the boot volume, the tailgate or the seating height. Those are the things it sells, and the hundred kilometres is what they cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much more range does the Model 3 have than the Model Y?
About 100 km in observed real-world driving — 555 km against 455 km — of which only a small part is the slightly larger battery. Most of it is the lower, narrower body using 142 Wh/km against 165.
Do they charge at the same speed?
Effectively yes: 250 kW peak on both, and 28 minutes against 27 from 10 to 80 percent. The one-minute difference is inside test-to-test variation.
Is the Model Y worth the extra money?
Only for the space. It is about £2,000 more, goes 100 km less far and costs more per kilometre to charge. If you do not need the boot or the ride height, there is no case for it on the numbers.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure is credited on the Model 3 and Model Y pages, with its source and the date it was read.