- Tesla plans to launch the Performance and seven-seater variants of its best-selling Model Y later this year.
- The automaker is tight-lipped about what to expect, but the launch of the Model 3 Performance hints at what might change between trims.
- Only the Launch Edition Long Range Dual Motor of the refreshed Model Y is available to purchase today, but we expect cheaper prices for the rear-wheel drive and standard Dual Motor trims.
Tesla's refreshed Model Y will begin rolling out to customers next month. Many folks are holding out on two hotly-anticipated trims—the Performance and seven-seater variants—which Tesla hasn't offered up for sale quite yet. Fret not, though, because Tesla execs have confirmed that both options are slated to launch later this year.
The news comes straight from the mouths of Tesla's VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, who joined the automaker's Senior Design Executive, Franz von Holzhausen, on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage earlier this week to discuss the refreshed version of Tesla's best-selling vehicle, the Model Y.
"[W]e're starting with the launch edition and then all of the other variants," said Moravy. "The Dual Motor base edition, Rear-Wheel Drive, Performance and seven-seater options—those will come later in the year."
Tesla hasn't dropped specifics of what to expect with the Performance variant. If the refreshed Model 3 Performance is any indication, the Model Y Performance will likely come with a higher power output, reworked suspension, and some visual tweaks to differentiate it from the lesser trims. The full workup of the refreshed Model Y's improvements can be found here.
How much power will the Performance version get? Tesla has kept tight-lipped about that. Keep in mind that the Dual Motor variant is already no slouch, especially with all of that torque right off the line. But notice how Moravy described both a "base" and "launch" edition of the Dual Motor.
According to the exec, the base Dual Motor car gets 410 horsepower, and the launch edition of the refreshed Model Y, which Tesla is currently offering for a significant premium due to all of its extras, gets a bit more oomph with 455 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. This lets the Dual Motor Launch Edition go from zero to 60 MPH in a respectable 4.1 seconds—about half a second slower than the outgoing Model Y Performance. The Performance should be significantly quicker, so expect a sizable power bump.
Now for the elephant in the room: the price.
Telsa took an interesting approach to launching the refreshed Model Y. The automaker began selling the refreshed variant of the car alongside the outgoing Model Y. If you want to purchase a new Model Y, it means ordering the Launch Edition, which costs a whopping $59,990—$8,500 more than the old Model Y Performance (though it does come with Tesla's Full Self-Driving software, your choice of wheels, the horsepower bump and a myriad of other goodies). Meanwhile, Tesla began the simultaneous switching of all its factories over to the new production line to begin deliveries of the refreshed Model Y in March.
The good news is that as the Launch Edition phases out, folks can expect the Model Y to become a bit more affordable. Pricing is likely to begin at around $46,990 for the base Dual Motor Model Y, according to the two execs, meaning that the RWD car will likely be even cheaper. Currently, the outgoing Dual Motor and RWD models are priced at $47,990 and $44,990, respectively, in the U.S.
In China, however, the refreshed cars are priced even lower. The RWD variant costs around $36,000 (263,500 CNY) and the Long Range Dual Motor around $41,500 (303,500 CNY). Historically, Tesla's vehicle prices in China for locally-built cars have been lower than in the U.S.
The Model Y's additional trims are expected to launch later this year, though the exact timeline isn't something that Tesla has shared just yet. Tesla may be looking to squeeze every penny it can out of early adopters, similar to the Cybertruck Foundation Series, while also thinning its herd of existing non-refreshed inventory.
But, even with a refreshed version of its best-seller, can Tesla pull itself out of a sales slump? With its CEO causing political controversy and more competition on the market than ever, Tesla has some real work ahead of it to stay on top. Sure, the Model Y Performance is a good start for folks who want a fast EV. But we still don't know whether the new upgrades are enough to keep Model Y sales growing. We'll have to wait until later this year to find out.
