What type of drivetrain does the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range have?

The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range has a rear-wheel-drive drivetrain.

This configuration sends power from a single electric motor mounted at the rear axle to the rear wheels. It was designed as the entry-level Model 3, offering a simpler and less expensive setup than Tesla’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants.

The Standard Range version was introduced in 2019. Its battery was software-limited to about 50 kWh, despite having a pack with roughly 54 kWh of physical capacity. That distinction is separate from drivetrain layout: battery size describes stored energy, while rear-wheel drive describes how the motor delivers power to the road.

Many readers associate Tesla primarily with all-wheel drive because higher-end Model 3 versions, including Long Range AWD and Performance models, use two motors. Those versions add a front motor, allowing the car to power both axles. The Standard Range model, by contrast, retained a single rear motor. Rear-wheel drive also connects the Model 3 to the layout listed for several earlier Tesla designs, including the first-generation Roadster.