See all Motoring NewsElectric car giants Tesla have officially revealed their newest all-electric car the ‘Model Y’ which is expected to go on sale late 2020. Presented by Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk at the Tesla design studio in LA, the Model Y is built on the same third-generation platform as the Model 3. The next step for Tesla is perhaps unsurprisingly an all-electric mid-sized SUV with an option of seven seats. Speaking at the reveal Musk said; “This will probably sell more than the Model S and Model 3 combined.”
As with all Tesla vehicles the Model Y was designed around safety and is in line to be the safest mid-sized SUV in the world by far. It’s low centre of gravity, rigid body structure and large crumple zones provide unparalleled protection.
The Model Y is also set to have the longest range of any SUV on the road with a true usable range of 300 miles (483km). Tesla has over 12,000 superchargers worldwide and says they will open six new locations every week. According to Tesla, the Model Y will recharge 270kms in just 15mins using one of their superchargers.
Said to have the functionality of an SUV but ride like a sports car the Model Y will reach 0-100kmh in as little as 3.5 seconds. Its all-wheel drive has two ultra-responsive, independent electric motors that digitally control torque to the front and rear wheels. This offers better handling, traction and stability control even in harsh conditions.
Being an SUV the Model Y offers plenty of cargo space. And like its bigger sister the Model X it also offers the optional third-row seating to make it Tesla’s second all-electric 7-seater car. An expansive Glass Roof provides more headroom and UV protection for passengers. The interior of Model Y is simple and clean, with a 15-inch touch screen, immersive sound system and an expansive all-glass roof that creates extra headroom and provides UV protection for passengers.
There are four spec options for the Model Y; Standard Range, Performance, Long Range RWD and Long Range AWD which expect to start from $39,000 (€34k) up to $60,000 (€53k).