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InsideEVs
InsideEVs
Technology
Steven Loveday

Tesla Model Y Officially Arrives In UK: Delivery Events Abound

As we previously reported, there were several suggestions online that Tesla would begin delivering the Model Y crossover in the UK this February 2022, and right-hand-drive Model Y crossovers were already spotted in the UK just last month. The reports claimed that there would be various handover events, as well as a special mass-handover celebration at the Horizon Cruise Terminal in Southampton.

According to a recent article by Autocar, the Model Y has officially arrived in the UK, and customers are already taking delivery. The publication notes that the new Tesla owners are reportedly attending handover events to pick up their electric crossovers at seven different locations, such as Aerospace Bristol, the American Air Museum in Cambridge, Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, and Oyster Catcher in Anglesey.

That said, the previously rumored "mass-handover event" is scheduled for Saturday, February 19, 2022, at the Port of Southampton. We'll be keeping watch in case there's more information about the event, or perhaps videos and images from the celebration.

While the Model Y first came to our shores in March 2020, it didn't hit Europe until five months later, in August 2020. Tesla has since made its Giga Shanghai location in China its primary export hub, and it's currently the only Tesla factory that produces right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles. 

Tesla's factory in China has been producing the RHD Model Y's for some time, though they initially went to Hong Kong and various markets throughout Asia. Meanwhile, Giga Shanghai has also been exporting Model Y crossovers to Europe, though they're not the RHD models.

The Model Y for Europe will eventually be produced at Tesla's new Gigafactory near Berlin, which hasn't yet opened. However, even after Giga Berlin officially comes online, Tesla will continue producing the RHD models in China.

In the UK, there are two versions of the Tesla Model Y available, which mirrors the situation in the US. The current "base" model is the dual-motor all-wheel-drive Long Range, which Autocar says makes 434 bhp and has 331 miles of range. The Model Y Long Range can scoot from zero to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed of 135 mph.

The Model Y Performance is also available. It produces 483 bhp and has a range of 319 miles. The Performance also features two motors and all-wheel drive as standard. Autocar notes that it has a 3.5-second 0-62 mph time and a 155 mph top speed.

Pricing for the Model Y in the UK starts at £54,990. The Performance model is available for £64,990. Tesla started accepting orders for the Model Y in the UK back in October of 2021, with the promise that it would begin deliveries in early 2022, so it's right on track.

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