Modem and bands: USA vs Europe. Replacement and SIM
≈ 1 min read
4 source(s)
Updated · June 9, 2026
The gist
- NA/EU LTE bands differ, so on cars imported from the USA the connection may work unstably.
- The fix is modem replacement to the EU version (there are successful cases), check/reconfiguration of the SIM.
Where the SIM is located
- The SIM is an eSIM chip soldered onto the modem board inside the MCU (media computer). Next to it on the board there is a backup slot for a regular physical SIM — visible in Oleg Kutkov's teardown.
Cost
- $200–450 for the retrofit (depending on model/components).
Links
- A case of replacing the modem with an EU one: https://olegkutkov.me/2021/06/10/tesla-model-3-us-lte-modem-replacement-and-some-reverse-engineering/
- Hackaday review: https://hackaday.com/2022/01/03/lte-modem-transplant-for-a-tesla-imported-into-europe/
- Officially: 3G→LTE transition: https://www.tesla.com/support/3g-cellular-network-retirement
- Modem bands discussion: https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/lte-modem-specs-are-here.7218/
Sources
- https://olegkutkov.me/2021/06/10/tesla-model-3-us-lte-modem-replacement-and-some-reverse-engineering/
- https://hackaday.com/2022/01/03/lte-modem-transplant-for-a-tesla-imported-into-europe/
- tesla.comblocked from BYhttps://www.tesla.com/support/3g-cellular-network-retirement
- https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/lte-modem-specs-are-here.7218/
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