The 2024 upgrade for the Tesla Model 3 looks like a normal change, but the amount of noise reduction inside is much higher than usual. This new Long Range RWD version of the Model 3 achieved 310 miles during our highway-range test, marking the first Model 3 to surpass 300 miles. This result is approximately 85 percent of the EPA-rated range, a significant improvement from the previous figure of around 75 percent. Tesla attributes the primary improvements to the custom Michelin tires, acoustic-laminated glass throughout, a marginally improved drag coefficient, and ongoing reductions in internal drag within the electric motor. Even though the 2024 lineup changes may look like standard facelifts, the “Highland” Model 3 is much quieter than the previous model. The Long Range RWD model we tried recently had an average noise level of 67 dB at 70 mph. This works three times better than our last model, the 2019 Dual Motor Long Range Model 3. Significantly Quieter Than Previously There is no longer a Model 3 used to show that not all EVs are as quiet. A 100-fold change in sound pressure equals a ten dBA rise or fall because decibels are based on logarithms. The difference in noise level between a Mercedes-Benz E-class and a Ram 1500 TRX is 70 to 67 decibels, which makes a big difference in how much fun it is to drive. Before, the windshield and front side glass were laminated. But now, the acoustic-laminated (double-pane) glass that covers the whole car is what makes it so much quieter. The maker also says that a small hood shape that channels air up and over the roof instead of into the window lowers wind noise. The company says that the Primacy All Season tires, not the Primacy MXM4 tires, which were recently made for Tesla, have better rolling resistance and less noise. In addition, the 0.84 g we recorded on the skidpad isn’t very impressive, but it’s about the same as what we saw earlier with the Model 3. Our test car now weighs 80 pounds less than a 2018 Long Range RWD, which shows that Tesla didn’t just add a bunch of big sound-deadening parts. Model 3 Surpasses 300-Mile Range The new Model 3 is a lot more fun to drive because it makes less noise. This makes sense since it can go much farther on roads than the old model. After testing the range on the highway at 75 mph, we were amazed to find that it went 310 miles. This is despite the fact that the EPA range went from 330 miles for the 2024 model to 363 miles for the 2020 model. The EPA says that our long-term Model 3 can go 310 miles, but in the same test, it only went 230 miles. Although the latest models have a bigger battery capacity (79.7 kWh), this is only a 2% rise. The highway range numbers of the Teslas we’ve looked at before were only about 75% of what the EPA said they would be. This was one of the lowest of any car company. We tried the 2024 Model 3 Performance again, and this time, the highway range was almost 85% of what the EPA said it would be. When we asked about range gains, especially the difference between the EPA range and the range at 75 mph, Tesla said that the motor’s internal drag is still being improved and that the EPA changed the way they test cars in 2024 so that automakers have to test in both the best and worst modes and then take the average of the results. The Model 3 has a small advantage in coefficient of drag, but this advantage is more useful on roads than in slower EPA tests because aerodynamic drag rises with speed squared. And even though the new generation 3 looks a lot like the old generation, it is a much better car to live with.
