Tesla Model Y Is Safe, Fast, And Has Up To 300 Miles Of Range

The Tesla Model Y has just premiered at a special launch event in Los Angeles. The SUV will join the Model 3, Model S, and Model X in Tesla’s range of consumer passenger vehicles as well as the impending second-generation Tesla Roadster and Tesla Semi.

Tesla will ultimately offer the Model Y in four configurations. The entry-level, Standard Range model is expected to arrive in Spring 2021 and will be the cheapest of the four, starting at $39,000. Before the Standard Range model arrives, however, customers will have three different variants to choose from all of which will launch in Fall 2020.

The cheapest of these three models will be the Tesla Model Y Long Range. As the name implies, this variant will focus on maximizing range and be able to cover 300 miles (482 km) on a single charge. It will also be able to reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.5 seconds and have a 130 mph (209 km/h) top speed. It will start at $47,000.

One step up in the range will be the Tesla Model Y Dual Motor AWD. This variant will sacrifice 20 miles of range from the Long Range in favor of improved performance. It will have a top speed of 135 mph (217 km/h) and deal with the 0-60 mph sprint in 4.8 seconds. Pricing will start at $51,000.

Last but not least will be the Tesla Model Y Performance. Thanks to a pair of powerful electric motors, this model will have a 280 mile (450 km) range, a 150 mph (241 km/h) top speed and accelerate to 60 mph in a blistering 3.5 seconds. It has been priced from $60,000.

As we long expected, the Tesla Model Y’s front fascia is strikingly similar to the Model 3, it’s four-door sedan sibling. Consequently, the automaker’s entry-level SUV has large headlights and a relatively short front overhang.

Viewed from the rear, the Tesla Model Y has a similar profile to the larger Model X but has taillights more akin to those of the Model 3.

Inside, the all-electric SUV offers seating for seven and adopts the same minimalist design of the Model 3. The seven seats will be an optional extra. Among the key interior features is a panoramic glass roof and the automaker’s horizontal 15-inch central touchscreen display. All up, the cabin offers 66 cubic feet of storage space.

Tesla chief executive has big ambitions for the Tesla Model Y and claims that it could sell more examples than the Model 3 and Model S combined.