Differences Between Imported and Domestic Model 3
2 Answers
The main differences between the domestic and imported Model 3 lie in the price and manufacturing process. Essentially, there is no difference between the imported and domestic models, except that the domestic Tesla has further lowered the entry threshold for Tesla. Here are the differences between the imported and domestic Model 3: 1. There are certain differences in details and configurations between the domestic and imported models, as can be seen from the car's price. 2. After the domestic Model 3 officially went on sale, to distinguish it from the imported model, the rear badge of the domestic model was changed to Chinese characters, which gives a very good overall impression. 3. Unlike the imported model, the domestic Model 3 has replaced the window glass supplier for the four doors and the C-pillar triangular window from the imported version's Saint-Gobain with the Chinese brand Fuyao Glass. 4. The domestic model also includes some localization settings for the infotainment system, with iQiyi and Tencent Video integrated into the system. Additionally, this car offers a 4-year or 80,000-kilometer vehicle warranty and an 8-year or 160,000-kilometer battery and drive unit warranty, which are basically consistent with the imported version.
When it comes to the differences between imported and domestically produced Model 3s, I've seen plenty of actual cars with my own eyes. The most obvious distinction is naturally the price—the domestically produced version, after subsidies, is about 100,000 RMB cheaper than the imported one. The money saved could cover several years of Supercharging. In terms of hardware, early batches of the domestically produced version did have minor issues, like uneven door seals, but post-2022 models have much finer craftsmanship, with panel gaps more uniform than even the imported version. The battery is a fundamental difference: the imported version uses Panasonic's 2170 ternary lithium batteries, while the domestically produced version currently mainly relies on CATL's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. The latter may see more noticeable range reduction in winter, but they offer longer charge-discharge cycle life. The most surprising upgrade is the audio system in the domestically produced version—13 speakers including a subwoofer, a significant step up from the imported base model's 8-speaker setup. Oh, and now the domestically produced version comes standard with a heated steering wheel, a godsend for users in northern climates, leaving older imported model owners envious.
