2021
Tesla Model 3
BEV (full electric)Sedan/WagonAWDTesla
Photo: Wikimedia user "Mariordo" (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Battery
75 kWh
EV range
353 mi
DC fast
250 kW
L2 (AC)
11.5 kW
Review
The pre-Highland Model 3 (2017–2023) — the car that made Tesla a mass-market brand and the most influential EV of the decade. Pre-refresh, the interior had stalks, a less-refined ride, and physical steering wheel buttons. Range and powertrain were near-identical to the current car: 358 mi (LR AWD) and 250 kW peak DCFC.
The pre-Highland is what most used Model 3s on the market are, and they make excellent buys: typical pricing has dropped to $20-28k for low-mileage examples. Battery degradation has held up well — most cars retain 90%+ of original capacity at 100k miles.
Known weak points: panel gap quality varied year to year, and the standard suspension is firm. Software remains current via OTA updates regardless of model year.
What we like
- Massive used inventory at attractive prices
- Battery longevity is proven
- Software stays current via OTA
- Supercharger network access
Trade-offs
- Pre-Highland panel gaps vary by build year
- Firm ride quality
- No fog lights on early years
Key specs
- Peak DCFC
- 250 kW
- EPA range (LR AWD)
- 358 mi
- Stalks
- Yes (unlike Highland)
- Connector
- CCS via adapter or NACS post-2023
All specs
- Year
- 2021
- Manufacturer
- Tesla
- Model
- Model 3
- Category
- Sedan/Wagon
- Seats
- 5
- Drivetrain
- AWD
- Fuel type
- Electric
- EV type
- BEV
- Engine size
- —
- Battery capacity
- 75 kWh
- EV range
- 353 mi
- Total range
- 353 mi
- L1 (120V) speed
- 3 mi/hr
- L2 (240V) speed
- 30 mi/hr
- L2 max kW
- 11.5 kW
- DCFC speed
- 1000 mi/hr
- DCFC peak kW
- 250 kW
Pre-Highland Model 3 (2017-2023). Specs from Tesla — manually curated.
Charging questions
- How long does the 2021 Tesla Model 3 take to charge on Level 2 (240V)?
- From 10% to full on a Level 2 charger supplying its 11.5 kW onboard maximum, the 2021 Tesla Model 3 (75 kWh battery) takes roughly 7 h 58 min — comfortably an overnight charge. Lower-powered home or public Level 2 units take proportionally longer.
- How fast does the 2021 Tesla Model 3 DC fast charge?
- The 2021 Tesla Model 3 accepts a peak of about 250 kW on DC fast charging. A 10–80% session at full acceptance takes roughly 14 min. Charging slows above 80%, and real-world speed also depends on battery temperature and the station's own rating.
- How far can the 2021 Tesla Model 3 go on a charge?
- The 2021 Tesla Model 3 has an EPA-rated range of 353 miles. Real-world range varies with speed, temperature, and load.
Charge times are lower-bound estimates from our shared model (linear to 80%, tapered above, 90% efficiency) using this vehicle's spec data.
How long does it take to charge?
Use our charge time calculator to model real-world charge curves for the 2021 Tesla Model 3, including thermal platform effects, preconditioning, and SoC taper.
Open Charge Time Calculator →Other Tesla EVs
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Specs hand-curated from tesla.com — Tesla isn't included in AFDC's catalog, so SpotCharge maintains its own override set. Review and curated specs are SpotCharge editorial. For deeper EPA test data, see fueleconomy.gov. Back to catalog.