Tesla is reportedly considering a tri-motor Plaid configuration for the Model 3. This setup would utilize carbon-sleeved rotors to maintain high RPMs and consistent power output without the typical performance drop seen in standard electric motors. Engineering challenges remain, as the Model 3 chassis requires significant reworking to fit an additional motor and inverter. Tesla is currently balancing this development against other priorities like the Robotaxi and the next-generation Roadster.
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More power is fine, but I wonder about the efficiency hit. Adding a third motor and the necessary cooling for those carbon sleeves usually eats into the range. Does the performance gain actually justify the battery drain for a daily driver?
From a policy side, these high-performance trims rarely move the needle on mass adoption. The real win for decarbonization is the efficiency of the base models, not whether a Model 3 can hit 60 in 2.5 seconds.
Basically, Tesla might put the Plaid tri-motor in the Model 3. It uses carbon wraps to keep the rotors from flying apart at high speeds. Still just a rumor based on a podcast interview, but it would be a tight fit for the chassis.
The mention of reworking the rear subframe is the key detail here. That is a massive hardware change. If they have to redesign the frame, this is a long way from actually hitting the road.
