Despite reports that Tesla saw a larger-than-expected drop in third-quarter deliveries, causing its stock price to fall slightly, the company fought back with the cheapest Model Y to date.
The introduction of the Model Y RWD (rear-wheel drive) came with little fanfare (a meager update to the online configurator), but the popular SUV drops to $43,990, $3,750 less than the (fully) retired Tesla Model Y AWD. traction), however, this RWD still comes with an estimated range of 260 miles.
This expected range is based on the 19-inch wheel option, but customers who want to add a little more bling with 20-inch wheels will get an expected 242 miles on a single charge. Relying on a single motor to drive the rear wheels is a clear indicator of where savings have been made, but this has impacted performance.
According to Tesla’s website, the newest model will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, compared to 5.0 seconds for the recalled Model Y AWD. Top speed is still set at 135 mph, which is the same across the Tesla lineup unless you opt for a 155 mph Performance iteration.
It will surely please the general public, as acceptance of the model has been strong: it was crowned the best-selling car in Europe during the first half of 2023, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce and Automotive News.
Can Musk deliver?
The key question on many buyers’ lips is “but when will I receive mine?” As we mentioned earlier, Tesla may miss third-quarter delivery estimates due to planned factory closures, according to Reuters.
In addition to this, it has been suggested that Tesla could also be facing a battery shortage, which could also have been a key factor behind the decision to abandon the Model Y AWD.
Inside EVs noted that the outgoing AWD model used 4680-type cylindrical cells, the same ones that will be included in production versions of the delayed Tesla Cybertruck, which could indicate a lack of resources to sustain both models.
After all, Elon Musk himself said in a cheep that a Tesla with an EPA range of less than 250 miles would not be produced because that figure is “unacceptably low.”
The launch of the Model Y (with 20-inch wheels, at least) seems to directly contradict this point of view. Although this would not be the first time that Musk has made a 180-degree turn.
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