Koreans Catch Up With Tesla Model 3

Tesla’s Irish footprint was expanded late in 2021 with the opening of a new Tesla pop-up location in Cork. Located beside Mahon Shopping Centre, the southern outlet offers test drives and servicing. Five Tesla Supercharger locations are now active around the country, where in 129km of juice can be added in five minutes.

We took a test in Tesla’s Model 3 Long Range all-wheel drive, which has a claimed range of 580km (WLTP). When VRT is added, the price is €64,400.

The Model 3 is a small saloon that’s only a fraction larger than a c-segment Toyota Corolla. Passengers sit low in the cabin and the driver navigates all the primary functions from the giant central touchscreen. Prodding and swiping the screen is still a fiddly distraction when on the move.

The Model 3 is a top-tier EV, but Kia’s EV6 and Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 have caught up. The Koreans offer better value with hatchback practicality than the car from the land of the free.