A healthy used Tesla Model 3 typically sits somewhere between 88% and 94% State of Health in the first four or five years, with most of its lifetime loss happening early and the curve flattening after roughly the first 30,000 km. Below about 85% before 100,000 km, something is unusual about that specific car and worth understanding before you buy.
But none of those numbers mean anything until you know which Model 3 you are looking at, because Australia has received at least six meaningfully different battery configurations.
The packs Australia actually got
| Variant | Years | Usable kWh | Claimed range | Real-world consumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Range Plus (LFP) | 2021–2022 | 52.5 | 448 km (EU); AU claim 491 km | 13.0 kWh/100km — modelled |
| Long Range AWD (pre-Highland) | 2019–2023 | 75.0 | 602 km | 15.5 kWh/100km — modelled |
| RWD (Highland) | 2024–2025 | 57.0 | 513 km | 14.0 kWh/100km — measured, Australia |
| Long Range AWD (Highland) | 2024–2025 | 75.0 | 629 km | 14.3 kWh/100km — modelled |
| Performance (Highland) | 2024–2025 | 75.0 | 528 km | 15.3 kWh/100km — modelled |
| Long Range RWD / Premium LR RWD | 2025–2026 | 79.0 | 750 km | 13.6 kWh/100km — modelled |
One honest caveat on that first row. Australia's Model 3 RWD changed packs at least twice between 2019 and 2023 — an early NCA chemistry, then a 55 kWh LFP, then a larger LFP that matches the 491 km Australian claim. We hold verified data for the 55 kWh LFP version only. A 2023 Model 3 RWD likely has around 57 kWh usable rather than 52.5, but we have not been able to source that to a standard we are willing to publish. If you are buying a 2022 or 2023 RWD, have the actual pack identified rather than assuming from the model year.
LFP versus NCA changes what "normal" looks like
The Standard Range and RWD cars use lithium iron phosphate. The Long Range and Performance cars use a nickel chemistry. They age differently and they want to be treated differently.
LFP packs tolerate being charged to 100% — Tesla actively recommends it weekly for these cars, because the battery management system needs a full charge to recalibrate its state-of-charge estimate. On a nickel-chemistry Long Range, routine 100% charging is the opposite of good practice.
The practical consequence for a buyer: a seller telling you "I always charged it to 100%" is reassuring on an LFP car and a yellow flag on a Long Range. Ask which chemistry before you interpret anything they tell you about charging habits.
What the dashboard will not tell you
A Model 3's displayed range is a prediction built from recent driving efficiency. It moves with weather, tyre pressure, load, speed and how the last few hundred kilometres were driven. Two identical cars can show ranges 40 km apart on the same morning with identical batteries.
It is not a capacity measurement, and a seller showing you a full-charge range figure is not showing you battery health — whatever they believe. The figure that matters lives in the battery management system, and it is not on any screen in the car.
Warranty position
Tesla covers the Model 3 battery for 8 years with a 70% capacity floor, and it transfers to you. The distance limit is 160,000 km on Premium RWD and 192,000 km on Premium Long Range RWD and Performance AWD — a 32,000 km difference that depends entirely on variant.
Full terms and sources: Tesla battery warranty in Australia.
What to check before you buy
Which pack, confirmed from the vehicle rather than the advertisement
Measured State of Health, against the 88–94% band for a car under five years old
Cell voltage spread, which reveals an unevenly ageing pack that a single SoH figure hides
Rapid-charge history — heavy DC fast charging accelerates degradation on nickel chemistry more than on LFP
Whether the car has been in rideshare, which is high-kilometre, high-charge-cycle use
Capacity and consumption data verified 13 September 2026. Consumption figures marked "measured" come from the Australian Automobile Association's Real-World Testing Program; those marked "modelled" are EV Database estimates and are calculations rather than physical tests. Manufacturer specifications vary by build date — confirm against the individual vehicle.