Tesla has expanded the line-up for its facelifted Model 3 with a new Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive edition delivering up to 436 miles of WLTP range.

The Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is the most efficient Tesla vehicle built to date

On sale now from £44,990, it’s described as the most efficient EV available in Europe today thanks to its official consumption of 20.1kWh per 100 miles, equating to 4.98mpkWh, when fitted with 18-inch wheels. It’s also said to deliver the best price-to-range ratio on the EV market in the UK.

A slightly lower-range version is also available, fitted with 19-inch wheels that give a 397-mile WLTP range and 21.9kWh per 100 miles, giving a 4.57mpkWh figure.

Tesla said the new 436-mile range was the result of its “continuous engineering efforts focused on energy efficiency and cost reduction”.

Details of the battery pack haven’t been revealed but it’s believed to be the same as in the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y unveiled last week.

It sits above the Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive and below the Long Range All-Wheel Drive and the range-topping Model 3 Performance.

The Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive has up to 318 miles of range and is priced at £39,990. The Long Range AWD has 390-421 miles depending on wheels and is priced at £49,990 while the top-rung Performance delivers up to 460hp of power, 328 miles of WLTP range and is priced at £59,990.

The Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive carries over the 360-degree acoustic glass, improved suspension bushings, seals and sound-dampening materials, introduced with the facelifted Model 3. Equipment includes an 8.0-inch screen in the second row and heated seats in both the first and second rows.

Customer deliveries of the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 start in November.