Used Tesla Model 3 Performance long-term test: report 5
The first-generation Model 3 is now available at bargain prices, but is running an ageing electric car a smart move or a false economy? We're finding out...
The car 2019 Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor Performance | Run by James Tute, Content Editor
Why it's here To see if running an older Tesla is hassle-free or a headache, and whether full Supercharger access is a game-changer
Needs to be Wieldy enough for city-centre driving, comfortable on long trips and as fun to drive as its performance tag suggests
Mileage on arrival 40,181 Mileage now 42,854 List price when new £56,545 Value on arrival £16,500 Official range 329 miles Test range 282 miles
18 September 2025 – Watt’s the story with my used Tesla’s battery?
You’ll have noticed a key word at the top of all the pieces I’ve written about my Tesla Model 3 – Used. You see, my car had more than 40,000 miles under its belt when I took delivery.
Despite that, it looked largely good as new. The wheels showed signs of wear but the bodywork and interior were in very good shape (and at the time of writing, still are).
I didn’t, though, have any way of knowing what was going on with that key electric car component: the main drive battery.
So part of my testing has been to monitor how many miles of range I’ve been getting between charges, and I’ve found I’ve been achieving an equivalent of about 250 to 280 miles from a full charge of the battery.
That’s some way short of the official WLTP range of my Model 3 Dual Motor when it was new (329 miles), and part of that will be due to the battery degrading with age.
To find out more, I decided to try an app called ClearWatt that promises to crunch the numbers and produce an EV health report.
First I used it to create a basic report on my car using just the registration plate and mileage. Based on similar cars, it told me the average range is likely to be 248-269 miles. That’s for an autumn or spring journey made up of 70% urban driving and 30% on a motorway.
Then I followed the instructions to test my car’s actual performance by doing three separate drives of at least 28 miles with the app gathering data.
I’m not sure how practical that is as a test of a used car you’re thinking of buying, but I managed to total 134.8 miles so I gave ClearWatt plenty to go on.
The resulting £19.99 report gave me a new, slightly higher average range figure – 257 and 278 – and a rating for the battery health of A+ for Excellent (the other options are A, B, C and D for poor).
Perhaps more usefully, it suggests with a graph that if the battery degrades at the same rate, at 10 years old the Model should have a range of about 200 miles. Perhaps the car’s next owner can report back in 2029 to tell you how they got on.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Buy a new car with What Car?
Like the sound of the Tesla Model 3?
If so, check out our New Car Deals pages to see how much you could save on a Tesla Model 3.
We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.
