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Tesla upgrades China Model 3 with 16-inch screen and V2L, US left out
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Tesla China has rolled out a set of hardware upgrades across its entire local lineup, announced on October 1 through four marketing posters on the company's official Chinese channels. Every Model 3 trim sold in China now comes with a 16-inch center touchscreen, up from 15.4 inches, along with a new light gray "premium interior" option paired with a black fabric headliner. In addition, all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles currently on sale in the country can export up to 2,200 watts of AC power. The upgrades arrive as Tesla faces intensifying pressure from domestic rivals such as BYD, and notably, none of the changes have been extended to the American Model 3.
Tesla says the new display offers higher resolution and a higher refresh rate than the outgoing unit, though it did not disclose specific figures for either specification. The cosmetic changes mirror what Tesla did with the US Model Y Premium in January, when it added a black headliner and the 16-inch screen to the 2026 Model Y. The vehicle-to-load capability, meanwhile, requires owners to purchase Tesla's AC power-export adapter, with the three-row Model Y L being the sole exception that needs no adapter. Tesla illustrated the feature's capacity with a camping scenario running a 600 W rice cooker, a 1 kW hot pot, and a 600 W electric kettle simultaneously.
The hardware changes came bundled with a fresh round of incentives. Model 3 orders placed by October 31 receive 5,000 yuan, roughly $740, off the final payment, stacked on top of five-year 0% financing requiring a 79,900 yuan down payment and monthly installments from about 2,377 yuan. Buyers can also claim an 8,000 yuan insurance subsidy on the RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD trims, plus an 8,000 yuan paint credit and a choice of three charging perks. Tesla advertises the Model 3 from 222,500 yuan, about $33,000, although the list price remains unchanged at 235,500 yuan for the base RWD. Even with the discounts, the car stays well above BYD's new Formula S, which starts at 189,900 yuan.
In the United States, the gap is evident. The Model 3 starts at $36,990, and Tesla's own specification page still lists a 15.4-inch center touchscreen. Vehicle-to-load arrived stateside in August but was limited to the Model Y Premium, Model Y Performance, and Cybertruck, delivering 2.4 kW through an $80 adapter for the Gen 3 Mobile Connector, leaving the entire US Model 3 lineup excluded.
Commentators have framed the disparity as a sign of where Tesla feels compelled to compete. One widely noted online comment quipped that the company prefers to "pretend to compete where we feel the pressure of competition." With BYD undercutting on price and Chinese buyers receiving features first, the pressure on Tesla's largest market outside the US shows little sign of easing. Whether the US lineup eventually inherits the 16-inch screen and broader V2L support remains unanswered by Tesla.
