Highlights:
Tesla has finally announced its long-awaited compact crossover utility vehicle, the Model Y. The American car maker unveiled the car at the LA Design Studio in Los Angeles, California last evening, where Tesla CEO Elon Musk made an appearance. According to the car’s product page, the Long Range variant of the new Model Y will start at around $47,000 (Rs 32 lakh approx) while the Performance variant will go all the way up to $60,000 (Rs 41.5 lakh approx). Production of the Model Y is expected to start late next year.
According to Tesla, the Model Y will come in two primary versions: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD). The AWD version gets two variants: Long Range and Performance while the RWD version comes only in one variant: Long Range. A Standard Range (read: cheaper) variant of the Model Y is expected to enter production by early 2021.
Elon Musk hinted earlier this month in his tweets that the Model Y, being about 10 percent larger than the Model 3 sedan, would cost about 10 percent more than it. According to Tesla, the Model Y seats up to 7 passengers and has 66 cubic feet of storage space in its boot. The Performance variant (or the costliest variant) of the Model Y has an estimated range of 280 miles (450 kilometres), a top speed of 150 miles per hour (241 kilometres per hour), and can go from 0–60 miles per hour (0–100 kilometres per hour) in 3.5 seconds. It also comes with 20-inch Performance wheels.
In May 2018, Musk revealed to the world that the Model Y would be built on a platform that’s shared with the Model 3. Both the Model Y and Model 3 are expected to be built in the company’s new Gigafactory in easter China at a rate of 2,50,000 units per year. Tesla recently announced a new base variant of the Model 3, which costs $35,000 (Rs 24 lakh approx) and has a range of about 220 miles (354 kilometres). The company also announced a Standard Range Plus variant of the sedan, which gives the user an extra 20 miles (32 kilometres) of range for $2,000 (Rs 1.3 lakh) more.
Related Read: Tesla Model Y SUV to be unveiled on March 14