EVwire brief: The 2026 Tesla Model 3 RWD is the most efficient production EV Edmunds has tested, covering 393 miles (632 km) on a single charge.
The range came in 30 miles above the car's 363-mile (584 km) EPA estimate, an 8.3% beat. Efficiency was the bigger story, though: The publication measured 21.7 kWh per 100 miles or 4.61 mi per kWh, 13.2% better than the EPA's 25 kWh per 100-mile rating.
Charging is solid if not class-leading. Edmunds clocked a 246 kW peak against Tesla's 250 kW claim, an average of 108 kW. This means the Model 3 RWD took roughly 12 minutes to add 100 miles (161 km) of range.
Edmunds runs its own real-world range test rather than leaning on the EPA's lab estimate. Instead of setting cruise control at 70 mph (113 km/h) and driving until the battery dies, it follows a fixed loop that is 60% city and 40% highway at an average of 40 mph (64 km/h), stays within 5 mph (8 km/h) of posted limits, runs each car in its most efficient drive mode, and keeps the climate control on auto at 72°F (22°C).
The aim is to mirror how people actually drive day to day, and by that measure, the Model 3 RWD proved to be the most efficient production car tested by the publication so far.
Context:
The Model 3 RWD’s 393-mile result also stacks up well against other electric sedans Edmunds has tested, edging the larger Audi A6 Sportback e-tron (392 miles or 631 km) and beating the Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 (385 miles or 620 km), though it trailed the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ (434 miles or 698 km).
The RWD is also a clear jump over Tesla's own 2026 Model 3 Standard, which managed 339 miles (546 km). On efficiency, nothing currently in production has beaten it so far. That is, at least, until Edmunds tests the Cybercab, which Tesla has stated delivers an efficiency of 165 Wh/mile or about 6 miles per kWh.
The Model 3 RWD’s nearly 400 real-world miles are especially impressive considering the vehicle’s ~80 kWh battery size
Beyond the numbers, Edmunds came away impressed with the car itself, as it was quick and quiet to drive and it featured a better-finished cabin than before. The overall verdict was that the Model 3 RWD is "one of the strongest EV choices on the market today."
Source: Edmunds, Sawyer Merritt on X
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