Tesla Model Y

The Tesla Model Y is a battery electric compact crossover SUV produced by Tesla, Inc. since 2020. The vehicle was presented in March 2019 as the company's fifth production model since its inception after the Roadster, Model S, Model X and Model 3.

After its 2019 introduction, the Model Y started production at the Tesla Fremont Factory in California, US in January 2020. Production at Giga Shanghai, China was added in December 2020, and at Gigafactory Texas, US since late 2021. Deliveries from Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany started in March 2022.

The Model Y is based on the Model 3 sedan and serves as a larger variant, with around 76 percent of parts being shared between the two and identical exterior and interior styling. While most Model Y are configured with two-row seating, in the US the Model Y offers optional third-row seats for a seven-passenger seating capacity.

In 2023, Tesla delivered 1.2 million Model Ys, making it the world's best-selling vehicle that year, surpassing the Toyota Corolla and becoming the first electric vehicle to claim that title. With at least 2.16 million units delivered since its start of production up to December 2023, the Model Y is also the most popular electric vehicle of all time. Tesla claims the Model Y was again the best-selling vehicle in the world in 2024. A refreshed version of the Model Y was revealed in January 2025, with upgrades similar to the upgraded Model 3.

History

Pre-launch

In 2013, Tesla Motors filed to trademark the name "Model Y". Later in 2015, CEO Elon Musk teased a Model 3-based Model Y with falcon-wing doors. In 2017, a Model Y silhouette was teased to Tesla shareholders at the annual general meeting in June. Musk also announced that the Model Y would be produced in a new factory, as the Fremont plant would not have room to accommodate another production line.

In June 2018, a new silhouette was revealed by Musk. He stated that the Model Y would be formally announced in March 2019. The Model Y announcement had been planned for 2018; however, production problems with the Model 3 resulted in it being pushed to 2019. In October 2018, Elon Musk revealed that he had approved the finalized design for the first production version of the Model Y, however production would not start until 2020. On March 3, 2019, Elon Musk published multiple tweets, announcing the unveiling event and confirming some specifications. Musk confirmed the vehicle would use standard doors, as opposed to the falcon-wing doors used on the Model X.

Production

Tesla originally announced plans at the unveil to assemble the Model Y at Giga Nevada (in Sparks, Nevada), along with the battery and drivetrain for the vehicles, unlike the Model 3, where drivetrains and batteries are assembled at Giga Nevada, with final assembly completed at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California. Two months later, in May 2019, Tesla said that they instead planned to shuffle production lines at the Tesla Fremont Factory to make space for Model Y production.

On January 29, 2020, Tesla reported in its Q4 2019 earnings report that Model Y production had already started in the Fremont factory, that one can now place an order for their premium versions with all-wheel drive, and that delivery of Model Y would begin in Q1 2020.

In November 2019, Tesla announced that the Tesla Model Y would be the first vehicle to be assembled at the first European Gigafactory, Giga Berlin. Tesla started deliveries of the Berlin-made Model Y since March 2022, mainly for European markets.

United States deliveries started in March 2020 for the Long Range AWD version and the Performance version. Later in 2020, Tesla began shipping cars to the Canadian and Mexican markets.

Initial production of the made-in-China Model Y began in mid-December 2020 with 250,000 Model Y expected to be produced in 2021 in China alone. In November 2020, Tesla signed an agreement with LG Chem to supply battery cells for Model Y production in China.

On October 7, 2020, Musk tweeted that Giga Berlin Model Y would get single-piece rear and front frame cast, structural battery pack, and new 4680 cells.

Vehicles manufactured from April 2021 no longer include radar for adaptive cruise control, and those from May the same year lack lumbar support on passenger seats.

Model Y vehicles produced from October 2022 no longer include ultrasonic sensors. As a result, the vehicles now rely solely on cameras to provide driver assistance features.

2025 update

On January 10, 2025, Tesla launched a redesigned version of the Model Y in China, with deliveries set to begin in March. Codenamed "Juniper", the new Model Y features a full width light bar as its daytime running lights and tail light, as well as a touchscreen for passengers in the rear seat. The long range version also has an extended range of , up from the previous . As customers of other models complained about the lack of the turn signal stalk, the 2025 Model Y refresh keeps the traditional turn signal stalk.

On January 23, 2025, Tesla revealed that its updated Model Y SUV will be available in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico starting in March, with a starting price of approximately . This "Launch Series" special edition includes a 320-mile range battery and Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance technology, “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” which is typically a $8,000 upgrade. In comparison, the older Model Y begins at $44,990 with a 337-mile range for its rear-wheel drive variant.

The most noticeable changes to the exterior of the new Model Y include a sleeker front design with a more streamlined nose and a thin light bar across the hood. The rear now features a full-width light strip. Inside, the refreshed SUV offers a configurable light strip that runs along the cabin, a new touchscreen for rear passengers, and upgrades like powered rear seats and improved suspension for a more comfortable ride.

Tesla recently announced the reintroduction of a three-row version of its best-selling SUV, the Model Y. The seven-seat configuration, marketed as 'family-friendly,' aims to strengthen Tesla’s presence in the household electric vehicle segment and enhance the Model Y’s competitiveness among vehicles in its class.

File:Tesla Model Y 2025 at Santana Row dllu 02.jpg, 2025 update, front
File:Tesla Model Y 2025 at Santana Row dllu rear.jpg, 2025 update, rear
File:Tesla Model Y 2025 interior.jpg, 2025 update, interior

Technical details

Heat pump

The Model Y is Tesla's first vehicle to use a heat pump instead of electric resistance for interior cabin heating. Electric cars using electric resistance heating can lose 40% or more of their range in ambient temperatures below . The heat pump can be up to 300% more efficient than electric resistance heating.

Some electric vehicles from other manufacturers, including the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, BMW i3, Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-tron, and Kia Niro, had already implemented heat pumps. Tesla's heat pump has been praised for using far fewer parts.

Tesla's heat pump system includes unique features including the "Super Manifold" and the "Octovalve". Inside the Super Manifold two systems meet: one for water-glycol coolant (used for managing the temperature of the battery, computers and powertrain) and the other for R1234YF refrigerant (used for cabin temperature control). The two systems share a liquid cooled condenser and a chiller. The Octovalve has eight ports that move the coolant around the different systems of the vehicle. The system allows the vehicle to remove waste heat from the vehicle's systems and use it to warm the cabin.

Musk has said that the new heat pump system is one of the two most significant changes in the Model Y over the Model 3 (which included it too in 2021), the other being the new single-piece castings.

Radar

Vehicles produced since May 2021 lack radar for adaptive cruise control. In February 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation over phantom braking in these new vehicles. As of May 2024, the investigation is still ongoing.

Software update 2022.20.9 transitioned radar equipped Model Ys (and Model 3s) to Tesla Vision. Steering assist is limited to , down from on vehicles with radar and minimum following distance has been increased to two car lengths from one.

Single-piece castings

In August 2020, it was reported that the Tesla Factory in Fremont would soon activate the world's largest unibody casting machine for Model Y production, switching to casting the rear body in a single piece. Elon Musk told an interviewer that the Berlin-made Model Y is "not just a copy of the Model Y. It's actually a radical redesign of the core technology of building a car." With this new design and production method, rear and front portions of the frame will be a single-cast design. Injecting molten aluminum into a cast and having robots pull out the molded metal allowed Tesla to combine several manufacturing steps. This manufacturing process is expected to result in significant cost savings, reducing a complex structural frame of dozens of parts, requiring many hours of welding to be reduced to just 1 part. Other savings include lower tool investments, reduced production time, lower number of robots, and a smaller production area.

In August 2020, Tesla started assembling the world's biggest casting machine for this purpose, which the company called the Giga Press. The machine was supplied by Italian company Idra.

Production of the Model Y with single-piece rear casting was reported to have started in late December 2020. The new process unified 70 different metal parts into two large parts.

In May 2024, Reuters reported that Tesla had abandoned its plans to adopt the one-piece gigacasting process, due to large upfront investment costs and a larger strategic realignment towards autonomous driving and the Tesla Robotaxi.

Markets and configurations

United States

During its introduction, there were four planned powertrain configurations for the Model Y in the U.S., which are Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD), Long Range RWD, Long Range with Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (AWD), and Performance (with Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive). However, the Long Range RWD model was not produced until 2024. , the Long Range RWD, Long Range AWD and the Performance models are currently being offered for sale.

The Standard Range RWD configuration was initially canceled in July 2020 after being listed as to be announced in "spring 2021", due to the range () being unacceptably low to CEO Elon Musk. On January 7, 2021, Tesla once again released the Standard Range RWD configuration, alongside the seven-seat option for the Model Y. The Standard Range RWD features of EPA-estimated range. Tesla stopped taking orders for the variant in February 2021, making it the shortest-lived configuration offered for the Model Y.

After reports emerged in February 2021, on December 6, 2021, Tesla formally notified customers who had pre-ordered the Long Range RWD that their chosen configuration is no longer available in the U.S. According to reports, this configuration was never delivered in the U.S.

On April 9, 2022, Tesla began building the Standard Range AWD configuration. Manufactured at Gigafactory Texas, it was equipped with the new 4680 battery cells and structural battery pack technology rated at of EPA range. At first, this configuration was only available for employees, invited reservation holders, and customers residing in the Texas area. Around April 7, 2023, Tesla made the configuration for sale to the general public. On September 14, Tesla stopped taking orders for the Standard Range AWD.

On January 12, 2023, Tesla announced a significant price reduction for the Model Y and Model 3. This reduction made the Model Y Long Range eligible for the federal tax credit of $7,500 under the Inflation Reduction Act, which is applicable only for cars that are priced below $55,000.

Tesla reintroduced the Standard Range RWD model to the US market in October 2023. In May 2024, the Standard Range RWD model was no longer offered for sale and was replaced by a Long Range RWD model. It was revealed that the Standard Range RWD model vehicles built in 2023 and early 2024 were the same as the new Long Range RWD model, but with the former having a software lock in place to reduce range to 260 miles. Elon Musk announced on social media that owners of the Standard Range RWD model from 2023 and 2024 may be able to pay a fee to unlock additional range, pending regulatory approval.

Canada

In April 2023, Tesla began producing made-in-China Model Ys to be sold in Canada.

Australia

Orders for the Model Y in Australia opened on June 10, 2022, with initial configurations offered were RWD and Performance AWD and imported from Gigafactory Shanghai. Deliveries commenced in August 2022. The Long Range AWD configuration was released on April 4, 2023.

China

On June 5, 2020, Tesla launched the Model Y Online design studio for the Chinese market, allowing customers in China to place orders for the upcoming made-in-China Model Y. First delivery of the model was made on January 18, 2021.

On January 1, 2021, Tesla started selling the Model Y in China, and it sold out its planned production (an unknown quantity) for Q1 2021 within 6 days.

In June 2024, the Jiangsu province government listed the Model Y as being eligible for purchase for government use. It is the first time that a Tesla car entered China's official vehicle procurement catalog.

Specifications

Safety

Model Y doors are electrically operated, so, in case of an accident or malfunction, occupants may be locked inside the car if they do not know how to operate the manual door release that is more complex in rear doors. Not all Model Y vehicles have a rear door manual release.

Reception

The Model Y has been generally positively received. Critics praised the car's quick acceleration, spacious interior, and range. However, they criticized the vehicle's clumsy handling, stiff ride, and "bizarre looks". According to Top Gear, the Model Y is a "great car to live with" despite its design and insufficient comfort. The Model Y was also touted as the leader in its class, but reviewers note that competition is rising with numerous alternatives hitting the market from other manufacturers.

In March 2024, Consumer Reports named the 2024 Model Y to its "Best Cars of the Year: 10 Top Picks of 2024" list, the only electric car to make the list. Model Y was best selling car worldwide in 2023.

Awards

* In 2023, the Tesla Model Y won the Autovista Group Residual Value Award in the category of Compact and Large Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) SUV. The Model Y also won the Best Company Car award at the 2024 Carbuyer Best Car Awards.
* In 2024, the Tesla Model Y won Auto Trader New car of the year award. Tesla Model Y also won Top Safety pick+ award from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Tesla Model Y also won Best family EV in parent poll by BabyCenter. Won Best Company Car by Parkers.

Sales

See also

* List of production battery electric vehicles

References

External links

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{{Tesla timeline

2020s cars
Cars introduced in 2019
Crossover sport utility vehicles
Electric car models
Electric cars
Production electric cars
Model Y