Despite reports that Tesla has a larger than expected decline with deliveries in the third quarter, which caused the stock price to drop slightly, the company has hit back with the cheapest Model Y yet.
The introduction of the Model Y RWD (rear-wheel drive) came with little fanfare (a meager update to the online configurator), but sees the popular SUV drop to $43,990, $3,750 less than the retired Tesla Model Y AWD (all-wheel drive), but yet this RWD still has an estimated range of 420 kilometers.
This predicted range is based on the choice of 19-inch wheels, but customers who want to add a little more bling with the 20-inch wheels are expected to be able to drive 240 miles on a single charge. The reliance on a single engine to drive the rear wheels is a clear indication of where savings have been made, but this has affected performance.
According to Tesla’s website, the latest model accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, compared to 5.0 seconds in the case of the retired Model Y AWD. A top speed is still planned at 130mph, which is the same across the Tesla range unless you opt for a 155mph Performance iteration.
It will certainly please the general public as acceptance of the model has been high; according to figures from market researcher Dataforce and Automotive News.
Can Musk deliver?
The main question on the lips of many buyers is: “but when will I receive mine?”. As we previously mentioned, Tesla could miss third-quarter delivery estimates due to planned factory closures Reuters.
Additionally, there is some suggestion that Tesla may also be dealing with a battery shortage, which could also have been a major driver behind the decision to drop the Model Y AWD.
Within EVs pointed out that the outgoing AWD model used 4680-type cylindrical cells, the same cells found in the production versions of the delayed Tesla Cybertruck, which could indicate a lack of resources to support both models.
After all, Elon Musk himself said in one Tweet that no Tesla with an EPA range of less than 250 miles would be produced because that figure would be “unacceptably low.”
The launch of the Model Y (with at least 20-inch wheels) seems to directly contradict this view. Although this wouldn’t be the first time Musk has made a U-turn.