The Tesla configurator in the United States reveals a new version of the Model Y equipped with a small battery and all-wheel drive. A cheaper version which plays the role of entry-level, but which nevertheless displays increased autonomy and performance compared to the Tesla Model Y Propulsion. What can replace it in Europe?
Tesla has never sold its cars so cheaply and yet it has never made so much money. And this shouldn’t stop anytime soon, as the firm is starting the year very well, having broken a new production record at its Gigafactory in Berlin. After drastically reducing the prices of its Model 3 and Model Y at the start of the year and then those of its Model S and Model X a little later, the manufacturer continues to want to offer even more affordable cars.
A new version
This is how a brand new version of the electric SUV has just appeared in the brand’s American configurator. This variant is soberly baptized Model Y and therefore now plays the role of entry-level. In France, this is embodied by the Propulsion version, which is no longer available on the American market.
Conversely, this new configuration is not (yet) offered by us. It has all-wheel drive and two motors., while the Propulsion has only one that sends all the power to the rear axle. This version makes the compact SUV even more affordable, sinceit is displayed, excluding taxes, from 49,990 dollarsor about 45,798 euros, against 52,990 dollars (about 48,500 euros) for the Long Autonomy version.
For memory, thehe range starts from 46,990 euros in France, which makes the electric SUV narrowly eligible for the ecological bonus of 5,000 euros. But if the American version is less expensive, it still has a small particularity, with significantly greater autonomy. Indeed, the entry-level American Model Y promises 279 miles (about 449 kilometers) according to the American EPA cycle.
| Tesla Model Y | Range EPA | WLTP autonomy | 0 to 100 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propulsion | 392km | 455km | 6.9sec |
| AWD | 448km | ≈ 500km | 5.2sec |
| Great Autonomy | 531km | 565km | 4.8 sec |
| Performance | 487km | 514km | 3.7 sec |
This is equivalent according to our calculations to about 500 kilometers according to the European cycle WLTP. By way of comparison, the Model Y Propulsion claims 455 WLTP kilometers, while the Long Range version promises 533 kilometers. For a much higher price, displayed from 53,990 euros.
The performance is also improved, since the 0 to 60 MPH (0 to 96 km/h) is shot in 5 seconds, or around 5.2 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h. While it takes 6.9 seconds for the Tesla Model Y Propulsion. But then, what explains that the American version is so powerful for such an affordable price?
New batteries?
This version, which would have already been proposed to the American environmental agency for approval in November 2022, could quite simply be equipped with the new 4680 cells developed by the manufacturer. These have the particularity of offering better density than the LFP batteries currently used on Propulsion. This new Tesla Model Y could integrate a battery with a capacity of approximately 67 kWh, against approximately 60 kWh for the Propulsion variant and approximately 80 kWh for the Long Autonomy and Performance versions.
In addition, they cost less to produce, which allows Tesla to reduce the price of cars equipped with them. All this without cutting back on its margin, which is still very high. But to tell the truth, the arrival of this new variant is not really a surprise. Indeed, in March 2022, a document on the EPA website already hinted at an unprecedented version of the electric SUV. This was then confirmed in the United States, with some models available in stock, but not absent from the online configurator.
For now, only the United States can therefore enjoy this version. The reason is probably linked to the fact that the 4680 cells are still produced in too small quantities, and directly on American territory. Manufacturing was also planned in the Gigafactory in Berlin, but the project is currently on hold. The financial incentives offered by the US government under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are probably not for nothing.
However, that could change. Brussels has also put in place measures to encourage manufacturers to produce on the Old Continent. It remains to be seen whether these will be able to convince Tesla.
Will this allow Tesla to offer this new Model Y in Europe? If so, will it replace the Propulsion version or come to be inserted between the latter and the Long Autonomy version? Given the price at which this new version is sold in the United States, we are leaning more towards this second solution. But, we are never safe from a surprise with the firm of Elon Musk.
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