Tesla Model Y: Industry Watchers Remain Cynical As Fans Gird Their Loins

Perhaps to give journalists a taste of what it’s like to be a Tesla reservation holder, Tesla’s Model Y launch event, scheduled for 11 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, started late. When it did, CEO Elon Musk launched into a rundown of his company’s well-documented history.

There were a few admissions during his speech, including this telling statement:

“I really think the difficulty and value of manufacturing is underappreciated,” Musk said, echoing a sentiment hurled in his direction since the start of Model 3 production. “It’s relatively easy to make a prototype and extremely difficult to mass manufacture a vehicle reliably and at scale.”

Promises uttered by Musk during his preamble included building a million cars next year and taking the company to Mars in a decade.

Then it was time for the main event — one many found lacking. The compact Model Y crossover looks very much like the model on which it based. Sharing a host of kit with the Model 3, the Model Y could be mistaken for its sedan cousin at a distance, despite its dimensions being about 10 percent larger.

It’s very … sedan-like, though the liftback gives it away. There’s a body and ride lift, too (See Bozi Tatarevic’s helpful comparison below). Would you believe this thing can be had in a three-row variant? It’s true. And the third row is forward facing. Adults, and probably kids, will have to slouch.

Not sure if they are to scale but here is what each one looks like on the order screens. pic.twitter.com/5x9gGYfSGB

— Bozi Tatarevic (@hoonable) March 15, 2019

It’s five seats only for the base, rear-drive $39,000 version. Seven-passenger seating will cost you an extra $3,000. Range amounts to 230 miles in base trim, or 300 miles in the rear-drive, $47,000 Long Range version. Both of these prices are sans a $1,200 destination fee. As you probably expected, the pricier model sees the light of day first, with Musk claiming deliveries start in late 2020. The base version should trundle along “sometime” in 2021.

Keep in mind that a production site still isn’t officially locked down, and base Model 3 reservation holders are still waiting for their vehicles three years after the model’s launch.

Joining the Long Range model in the fall of 2020 are two money makers: a Dual Motor AWD model and a Performance variant, each with 280 miles of range. The former model is $51k before destination; the latter, $60k. If the Model 3 saga taught us anything, it’s that the cash inflow from higher-spec trims is required to offset a Standard Range model that may or may not be profitable.

Anyway, there’s numerous ways to add expense to your Model Y purchase. Adding Autopilot to either version is a $3,000 proposition, and Tesla’s “full self driving capability” promise package will warrant another $5,000. Lining up a Model Y requires a $2,500 deposit, meaning Tesla can expect a new cash stream starting last night.

While it’s assumed that Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory will eventually expand to accomodate Model Y production, no confirmation came from Musk at the launch event. The CEO did say the battery assembly facility is only a third of its planned footprint.

[Images: Tesla]