The Tesla Model Y has just premiered at a special
launch event in Los Angeles. The SUV will join the Model 3, Model S, and Model
X in Tesla’s range of consumer passenger vehicles as well as the impending
second-generation Tesla Roadster and Tesla Semi.
Tesla will ultimately offer the Model Y in four
configurations. The entry-level, Standard Range model is expected to arrive in
Spring 2021 and will be the cheapest of the four, starting at US$ 39,000. Before
the Standard Range model arrives, however, customers will have three different
variants to choose from all of which will launch in Fall 2020.
The cheapest of these three models will be the Tesla
Model Y Long Range. As the name implies, this variant will focus on maximizing
range and be able to cover 482 km on a single charge. It will also
be able to reach 96 km/h in 5.5 seconds and have a 209 km/h top speed. It will start at US$ 47,000.
One step up in the range will be the Tesla Model Y
Dual Motor AWD. This variant will sacrifice 20 miles of range from the Long
Range in favor of improved performance. It will have a top speed of 217 km/h and deal with the 0-97 km/h sprint in 4.8 seconds. Pricing will start
at US$ 51,000.
Last but not least will be the Tesla Model Y
Performance. Thanks to a pair of powerful electric motors, this model will have
a 450 km range, a 241 km/h top speed and accelerate to 60
mph in a blistering 3.5 seconds. It has been priced from US$ 60,000.
As we long expected, the Tesla Model Y’s front
fascia is strikingly similar to the Model 3, it’s four-door sedan sibling.
Consequently, the automaker’s entry-level SUV has large headlights and a
relatively short front overhang.
Viewed from the rear, the Tesla Model Y has a similar
profile to the larger Model X but has taillights more akin to those of the
Model 3. Inside, the all-electric SUV offers seating for seven and adopts the
same minimalist design of the Model 3. The seven seats will be an optional
extra. Among the key interior features is a panoramic glass roof and the
automaker’s horizontal 15-inch central touchscreen display. All up, the cabin
offers 66 cubic feet of storage space.
Tesla chief executive has big ambitions for the
Tesla Model Y and claims that it could sell more examples than the Model 3 and
Model S combined.
