Tesla has as soon as once more began taking orders on the Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary within the US, after it was lacking for practically 9 months. And it is perhaps utilizing Lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO/LFP) battery cells, just like the Mannequin 3 Normal Vary.

The adjustments appeared on Tesla’s web site tonight, in Tesla’s Mannequin 3 design studio.

The automotive has as soon as once more appeared, after saying it will be “obtainable in 2023” since final August.

However there are adjustments which recommend the automotive is perhaps utilizing a brand new Tesla’s LFP pack, which is utilized in Chinese language-built Mannequin 3 and within the Mannequin 3 Normal Vary.

First, the automotive is now listed as having “325+” miles of vary, as in comparison with the earlier 358 miles. LFP is a less expensive, much less energy-dense expertise, so it will make sense {that a} pack might need much less vitality in it, and fewer vary because of this.

Second, the automotive is now listed as receiving solely $3,750 of the US EV tax credit score, just like the Normal Vary.

That is as a result of manner the Inflation Discount Act tax credit are structured. To qualify, a automotive should be assembled in North America, but in addition should supply 40% of its vital minerals from the US or free commerce international locations, and 50% of its battery parts should be inbuilt North America. These percentages will go up 12 months by 12 months, however they’re set at these ranges for now.

For the reason that Mannequin 3 Normal Vary solely qualifies for considered one of these two classes, it solely will get half the credit score. It’s because it will get its LFP batteries from CATL, a Chinese language battery provider. The identical goes for the brand new Lengthy Vary, and so we suspect it’s utilizing the identical battery provider.

So between these two new items of knowledge, it seems like Tesla might need launched a brand new battery chemistry on the Lengthy Vary Mannequin 3 right now.

LFP batteries have some attention-grabbing pluses and minuses. As talked about above, they’re much less vitality dense however cheaper, however additionally they require no cobalt, which is a troublesome mineral to come up with and carries some human rights baggage. They endure from much less degradation as effectively, which suggests your battery will keep more healthy longer, although they do worse in very chilly environments (so make double certain you precondition your batteries, of us).

Which brings up one other notice… within the “function particulars” part of the web page, it says this:

Which, given the more severe very chilly climate efficiency of LFPs, possibly means that this isn’t LFP in spite of everything.

However we additionally know that CATL has a extra energy-dense model of LFP coming this 12 months, which provides manganese into the combo (“LMFP”), so it might be that.

No matter these batteries are, this new mannequin does create a pricing dilemma (or maybe an intentional product pricing ladder) for patrons, as a result of whereas the Lengthy Vary and Efficiency differ in upfront worth by $6,000, the post-incentive pricing is just $2,250 extra for the Efficiency. That’s a fairly small premium for extra efficiency, significantly together with the opposite upgrades.

We are able to see causes that folks would possibly choose the Lengthy Vary nonetheless – choice for the (doable) LFP batteries, little interest in efficiency upgrades, choice for the aero wheels (and related barely longer vary) over the large 20″ efficiency wheels, and the $2,250 financial savings in fact – however we may see lots of people making the improve now that the value differential is smaller.

The brand new Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary is out there for orders now, with deliveries beginning in June – only one month from now.

This will not be the Mannequin 3 refresh we have been ready for (codenamed “Highland”), but it surely’s positively attention-grabbing to see extra of CATL’s (presumably LFP?) cells in US-market Teslas.