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Used Tesla trims: RWD, Long Range, Performance
Last checked: 22 October 2026 against Tesla Australia’s support pages and owner’s manual, Drive, CarExpert and WhichCar. Figures are claims when new and vary by build date, so confirm anything important with Tesla using the car’s VIN. This is a general guide, not financial advice.
Short answer: Australian Model 3 and Model Y listings use a few trim names: Standard Range Plus, Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD), Long Range (all-wheel drive, or rear-wheel drive on the newest Model 3), Performance and, from February 2026, “Premium” versions of the first two. The entry car is a single-motor RWD, usually with an LFP battery. Recent Long Range and Performance cars use bigger NMC packs, carry a longer battery warranty distance and, on the current Model Y, charge faster on DC. Check the trim on the car’s own screen before you pay.
Model 3 trim names in Australia, year by year
Model 3 orders opened here in May 2019. By July 2019, Drive reported, the line-up had grown to three: the Standard Range Plus, a new Long Range all-wheel drive that sat in the middle, and the Performance.
The base car changed twice. WhichCar reported that in October 2020 it “switched production source from the US to China and exchanged its battery from NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide) to LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate)”. In November 2021 the Standard Range Plus name was dropped, claimed range rose and 0-100 km/h slowed from 5.6 to 6.1 seconds. Since then it has been sold as the Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive.
The Highland update arrived from late 2023 with the RWD and Long Range. The updated Performance followed, with Drive reporting first local deliveries due between July and September 2024. Drive says RWD cars built after 10 February 2025 got a slightly larger LFP battery.
In October 2025 Tesla added a Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, the Long Range All-Wheel Drive “has been axed”, and the Performance got a bigger battery. In February 2026 Drive reported that the RWD and Long Range RWD added “Premium” to their names, while the Performance stayed the Performance All-Wheel Drive. So a “2026 Premium RWD” and a “2025 RWD” can be close to the same car.
| Model 3 name in an ad | Sold new here | Motors | Battery (as reported) | Claimed figures when new |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Range Plus | 2019 to late 2021 | One, rear | NCA on US-built cars; LFP from the October 2020 switch to China | 448 km WLTP (LFP) and 5.6 s before the late-2021 change |
| Rear-Wheel Drive / Premium RWD | Late 2021 on | One, rear | LFP | 491 km (late 2021), 513 km (Highland), 520 km (from February 2025); 6.1 s |
| Long Range (AWD) | 2019 to October 2025 | Two | NMC per Drive (2025); earlier packs not stated | 544 km WLTP and 4.6 s (2019); 614 km and 4.4 s (late 2021); 629 km (Highland) |
| Long Range RWD / Premium LR RWD | October 2025 on | One, rear | NMC, about 82 kWh usable | 750 km on 18-inch wheels, 691 km on 19s |
| Performance | 2019 on | Two | NMC from late 2025 per Drive; earlier packs not stated | 3.3 s and 567 km (late 2021); 3.1 s and 528 km (2024); 571 km (late 2025) |
Model Y trim names in Australia
Model Y orders opened on 10 June 2022 with just two: the Rear-Wheel Drive and the Performance. Drive quoted 455 km WLTP and 6.9 seconds for the RWD, and 514 km and 3.7 seconds for the dual-motor Performance. The Long Range all-wheel drive only joined in April 2023. Drive said it used the Performance’s larger battery “with less powerful (dual) motors and smaller wheels”, for 533 km and 5.0 seconds.
The refreshed Model Y from 2025 kept the same three names. CarExpert reported a 62.5 kWh LFP battery in the refreshed RWD and said those numbers are “on par with the pre-update base model”. The refreshed Long Range uses a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, and CarExpert reports claims of 466 km for the RWD and 551 km for the Long Range. From February 2026 the RWD and Long Range also carry the “Premium” label. Drive notes the Performance is the one Model Y sold here that is built in Germany rather than Shanghai.
How the trims differ in practice
Range. In the figures quoted here, a Long Range version always carries the longest claimed range in its line-up. A used car’s real range depends on battery health, wheels, weather and how it is driven, so read our battery health guide before you compare two ads on range alone.
Acceleration. The RWD is slowest but not slow (6.1 seconds for the Model 3, 6.9 for the early Model Y). The Long Range sits in the middle and the Performance is quickest. Drive says the 2024 Model 3 Performance was the first Tesla with adaptive dampers, and it has red brake calipers, a carbon-fibre lip spoiler and 20-inch wheels with wider rear tyres. Check tyre wear closely on any Performance.
Battery chemistry. Drive says the LFP chemistry in the RWD “can be regularly recharged to 100 per cent without accelerating the wear of the battery cells”, unlike the Model 3 Long Range’s NMC pack. Tesla’s manual says LFP cars “have different charge limits” and to check the car’s charging screen for the recommended daily limit. On a Long Range or Performance, ask what daily limit the owner used.
Charging. At home, the Model 3’s onboard charger is rated at 11 kW, about 75 km of range per hour, according to Tesla Australia. CarExpert lists 11 kW for every current Model Y too. On DC fast chargers there is a real gap: CarExpert lists the current Model Y Premium RWD at a 175 kW peak and the Long Range and Performance at 250 kW. For AC charging, Tesla says the charging menu shows that car’s maximum charge rate.
Warranty. Tesla Australia’s current battery and drive unit table gives the RWD and Premium RWD 8 years or 160,000 km. The Long Range and Performance get 8 years or 192,000 km, both with at least 70% capacity retained. Tesla also says coverage “varies by delivery date, model and trim”, so a used car keeps the terms it was sold with. The Tesla app shows the car’s actual cover under Specs & Warranty.
How to confirm the trim of a listed car
Ads get trims wrong, sometimes through the 2021 rename or the 2026 “Premium” label, sometimes because a badge or spoiler was added. Use what comes from the car itself:
- Get the VIN. Tesla’s Model 3 manual lists it under Controls > Software, on a plate at the top of the dashboard (seen through the windscreen) and on the door-pillar identification plate. Shanghai-built cars also have it stamped into the floor under the front right seat carpet. Check these match the registration papers, then ask Tesla to confirm the build against that VIN.
- Read the software screen. Ask the seller to open Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information with you there. Tesla says the “High voltage battery type” line “only shows when your battery is LFP”. If it reads Lithium Iron Phosphate, the car has an LFP pack, which on a Model 3 or Model Y points to an RWD or Standard Range Plus. If an ad says “Long Range” and that line is there, ask why.
- Look at the Tesla app. Ask a serious seller to show you the app’s Specs & Warranty screen. The Warranty tab shows the cover left on that car. On recent cars, 160,000 km of battery cover points to an RWD and 192,000 km to a Long Range or Performance.
- Count the motors and check the Performance clues. A Long Range AWD and a Performance have two motors, and the RWD and Long Range RWD have one. In a Model 3, Tesla’s manual says Track Mode is “available only on Performance Model 3 vehicles”. You’ll find it under Controls > Dynamics, so on a car sold as a Performance, look for it, and ask Tesla if it is missing. Red calipers and a lip spoiler are easy to add, so don’t rely on them.
- Treat badges as a hint only. From the late-2025 Model 3 update, Drive says the TESLA boot script and the T badge turned black instead of silver. Badge colour tells you roughly when a car was built, not its trim.
Then work through our used Tesla inspection list and, for an interstate car, our stamp duty guide.
Which trim suits which buyer?
- Mostly city and suburban driving, charging at home: an RWD or Standard Range Plus is the simplest choice. A US-built Standard Range Plus from before the October 2020 switch has an NCA pack, though, not LFP.
- Regular country trips or towing: the Long Range has the most claimed range. On a recent Model Y it also charges faster on DC and has a longer battery warranty distance.
- You want the quickest car: the Performance. Check tyres, brakes and any track use.
- Choosing between body styles: read our Model 3 vs Model Y comparison first, then pick the trim.
FAQ
Is a Model 3 Standard Range Plus the same as a Model 3 RWD?
They are the same entry-level, single-motor rear-drive car under different names. WhichCar reported the name change in November 2021, with more claimed range (448 km to 491 km) and slower 0-100 km/h (5.6 to 6.1 seconds). Battery chemistry changed earlier, in October 2020, when production moved to China and NCA gave way to LFP.
How can I tell if a used Tesla has an LFP battery?
Open Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information on the touchscreen. Tesla says “High voltage battery type only shows when your battery is LFP”.
What does “Premium” mean on a 2026 Tesla listing?
Drive reported in February 2026 that the RWD and Long Range versions of the Model 3 and Model Y added “Premium” to their names, with prices unchanged. The Performance kept its name. Treat “Premium RWD” as the regular RWD of that time.
Find your trim on ev4sale.au
Browse used Teslas for sale, see current asking prices or read the buyer FAQ. Compare like for like on the Model 3 and Model Y pages. Selling yours? List it here, and put the exact trim and the battery type from Additional Vehicle Information in the ad.
Sources: Tesla Australia warranty, onboard charger, Model 3 manual (Subsystems, Identification Labels, Track Mode); Drive (2019 Long Range, 2022 Model Y, Model Y Long Range, 2024 Performance, 2025 RWD battery, Long Range RWD, Premium names); CarExpert (2025 Model Y, Model Y specs, 2024 Model 3); WhichCar (SR+ rename).