[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Tesla has enhanced the Model 3’s product competitiveness in the Chinese market. It applied a larger 16-inch central display across all trims and expanded an external power supply feature of up to 2.2 kW across the entire Model 3 and Model Y lineup. With competition intensifying in China’s electric-vehicle market, this is seen as a strategy to strengthen specifications and purchase benefits instead of cutting prices.

On Oct. 1 local time, electric-vehicle outlet Electrek reported that Tesla unveiled new product configurations for the Model 3 and Model Y through its official China channels that day.

The most noticeable change is the Model 3’s central display. All Model 3 trims sold in China will use a 16-inch display instead of the existing 15.4-inch screen. Tesla said resolution and refresh rate were also improved, but it did not disclose specific figures.

Interior options have also been expanded. Chinese consumers can choose a premium interior in a light gray tone, paired with a black fabric headliner. Tesla previously applied a 16-inch screen and black headliner to the U.S.-spec 2026 Model Y premium trim, and it has now expanded that configuration to the China-spec Model 3.

An external power supply function also applies to the Model 3 and Model Y. Models sold in China can supply up to 2,200 watts of power externally on an AC basis. Tesla gave an example of simultaneously using a 600-watt electric rice cooker, a 1-kilowatt hot pot device and a 600-watt electric kettle.

To use the feature, buyers must purchase a separate AC external power supply adapter. The three-row Model Y L can use the external power supply function without an adapter.

Tesla also prepared purchase benefits alongside the specification upgrades. If a buyer orders a Model 3 by Oct. 31, the company discounts 5,000 yuan, about 1.01 million won, from the final payment amount. It also offers 5 years of interest-free instalments and, for some trims, an 8,000 yuan insurance subsidy, an 8,000 yuan paint credit and an option that can be chosen among charging-related benefits.

The Model 3 starting price presented in Tesla’s advertising is 222,500 yuan, about 45.2 million won. However, that is the price after applying various discounts and subsidy benefits to the official selling price of 235,500 yuan, about 47.8 million won, for the base rear-wheel-drive model. The pre-discount price itself has not been lowered.

In China, Tesla’s price competitiveness remains a burden compared with local companies. BYD’s new Formula S rear-wheel-drive sedan starts at 189,900 yuan, about 38.5 million won, offering a lower price than the Model 3. Tesla appears to be responding by combining specification upgrades with financing and purchase benefits rather than direct price cuts.

Differences in Model 3 configurations sold in China and the United States are also growing. The U.S.-spec Model 3’s central display remains 15.4 inches, and the starting price is $36,990, about 50.45 million won. The external power supply function is also applied only in a limited way in the United States, to the Model Y Premium and Performance and the Cybertruck, and the Model 3 is excluded.

While the China-spec Model 3 applies both the 16-inch display and the 2.2 kW external power supply function across all trims, neither feature is applied to the U.S.-spec Model 3. It has not yet been disclosed whether Tesla will expand the same specifications in the U.S. market in the future.