Electric vehicle company Tesla has been working on a refresh of its Model 3 for at least a year now.
According to reporting from Electrek, it is now rumored that Model 3s will feature some of the freshest battery technology out there: M3P LFP cells from Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (also known as CATL).
CATL's cells would give new Model 3s a longer range due to the batteries' higher densities. They could also lower costs, as the new batteries are apparently cheaper to produce.
Very few specifics are known about what differentiates CATL's M3P LFP cells from the company's previous standard, the LMFP cells (CATL keeps those trade secrets close to the vest), other than the fact that they will contain "metallic elements not present in LMFPs," according to Elektrek.
Previous rumors about the Tesla Model 3 refresh included speculation that the new version would include such features as a steer-by-wire yoke steering wheel, matrix LED lights, and a backup camera. In addition, if the rumors are to be believed, the cars could also feature ventilated seats, ambient lighting, and upgraded surround sound.
The news of the M3P LFP batteries was welcomed by most of Electrek's commenters.
"The more energy dense, the lighter these vehicles get. The more oomph you can get out of the vehicle! They can get away with smaller packs which also means faster charging!" wrote one commenter.
"Hopefully," they continued, "the big three [car companies] get onboard with this. We do not need gigantic trucks and SUVs. What we need is intelligently packaged trucks and SUVs that allow the same performance in a smaller package."
It is not clear whether the refreshed Model 3s containing batteries made in China would affect the tax incentives for the electric cars. Even without tax incentives, though, EVs, including Teslas, have been getting more affordable across the board.
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