The all-electric crossover SUV category models are based around the Model 3 but are 10% bigger, and will be the fifth car design released by Tesla. The specs for the full range in the Y series are without a doubt impressive. Speaking at the launch, Musk detailed a true useable 300-mile range for the Long Range and 230 miles for the Standard Range versions. These two models would perform top speeds of 120mph and 130mph respectively, and in the more than impressive acceleration time of under 6 seconds to sprint from 0–60mph.
Priced in the USA at $47,000 for the Long Range and $39,000 for the Standard, the cost of these new cars is in line with the price drop announcements recently brought into play with the lower $35,000 price tag for the new version Model 3.
Typically, Musk has supplied fans with several teasers through his Twitter account; most showing little more than an artist’s impression of what the Model Y ‘might’ look like and where and when they can find out more. The Tesla CEO seems to have mastered the art of making sure his brand is always in the news through this medium, making sure he and his company are being consistently talked about. The Model 3 price point news was pre-empted through social media, as was the unveiling of the first public V3.0 Supercharger Station. Perhaps this free marketing tool will be part of the process to help keep prices low enough to compete with the rest of the industry.
At the official unveiling, Musk detailed that the Tesla Model Y will be expected to offer the same high safety ratings as the Model 3 but will drive much more like a sports car, given the low centre of gravity provided by the battery placement. The additional Dual Motor AWD and Performance versions should also be available for purchase in autumn of 2020; the specifications for those too are impressively strong. This is where Musk’s talked about sports car handling and performance comes to the forefront. The Performance model will get you from 0–60mph in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 150mph, but will cost you $60,000 for the pleasure, and the AWD option, with its slightly slower but still lightning fast 4.8 seconds 0–60mph acceleration and top speed of 135mph, will set you back $51,000.
It’s undoubted that Tesla creates cars to impress their drivers, steeped in new advancements in both fuel and driving tech. It’s yet to be seen whether their range of vehicles at their current prices will be enough to set them as a long-term player in such a competitive industry.
