Production of the entry-level Tesla Model 3 is still
ramping up, however, the electric automaker has already set in motion a plan to
begin building the Model Y in November of 2019, Reuters claims. The publication
claims to have received word from two unnamed sources about Tesla’s plans.
These sources assert that Elon Musk is accepting preliminary bids for supplier
contracts on the Model Y. These suppliers have been given very few details
about the program and the production time frame.
Traditionally, automakers look for parts suppliers
roughly two to two-and-a-half years before production of a new model commences,
but Tesla is doing the same just 18 months before its planned launch. Tesla
initially intended on building the Model Y on an entirely bespoke platform but
has since made the decision to use the same underpinnings as with the Model 3.
Like the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and next-gen
Roadster, the Tesla Model Y will be produced at the company’s Fremont plant in
California. In late 2021, Tesla intends on also building the Model Y in China.
Tesla also has bold plans for introducing an all-new
electrical system in the Model Y. Last year, Musk revealed that the Model 3
uses approximately 1,524 m of wiring and that the Model Y small
crossover will slash that number to just 100 m. This reduction in
wiring will be made possible through new electric systems that utilize
different voltage and power transmission hardware.
Given the demand for crossovers, it is entirely
possible that the Tesla Model Y will quickly assert itself as the automaker’s
best-selling model.
