Tesla quietly refreshed the Model 3 and Model Y for US buyers on October 1, with a bigger center screen and a few performance bumps on the pricier trims — but a couple of features other markets are getting didn’t make the cut here.
A bigger, sharper screen across every trim
Every US-market Model 3 now ships with a 16-inch center touchscreen in place of the old 15.4-inch unit, with resolution jumping to 2560×1440 (QHD) from 1920×1200, according to Not a Tesla App. The change applies in the US, Puerto Rico, and Mexico; Electrek reports it’s notably absent from Tesla’s Canadian online configurator for now.
Quicker acceleration, a little more range
Model 3 Performance now makes roughly 528 horsepower, up from 510 hp at launch, and its EPA range rises to 316 miles from 309, per Electrek. Model 3 Premium AWD’s 0-60 mph time drops to 3.8 seconds from 4.2, and Not a Tesla App reports the Model Y Premium AWD improves to 4.3 seconds from 4.6. Base pricing hasn’t moved — the Model 3 RWD still starts at $36,990, Electrek notes.
What US buyers still aren’t getting
The refresh is smaller here than it is elsewhere. Electrek reports the Model 3’s new light-gray “Zen Gray” interior option isn’t being offered in the US market, and Vehicle-to-Load (bidirectional power export) still isn’t part of the US Model 3 — Tesla has already rolled V2L out on the Model 3 in China and, as of this month, Tesla North reports, in Korea too. For now, V2L on a US-market Model 3 remains a feature other regions have and American buyers don’t.
Ryan Shaw walked through the US changes, and what’s missing compared to other markets, in a video posted October 2:
Shaw’s video reflects his own read on the update; the screen, performance, and availability details above come from Tesla’s own configurator changes as reported by Electrek and Not a Tesla App, not from the video itself — confirm current specs and regional availability on Tesla’s own configurator before you order.
Photo by 04iraq.