Over the past couple of years, electric and hybrid cars have become popular for their fuel efficiency and better carbon footprint. One of the biggest companies known for its fully-electric cars is Tesla. The company was founded by Elon Musk in 2003, in hopes of creating an electric car that doesn’t compromise the vehicle itself. Tesla has gained tremendous popularity in recent years, due to the success of its Model S (sedan) and Model Y (SUV), along with some controversy sparking conversations among many news sources. The fully electric cars can be charged at any of the 12,000 stations across the US or an in-home charger can be installed.
However, the one stickler for Tesla has always been that they produce “luxury” cars, meaning they each cost almost $90,000 at their starting price. It wasn’t until the sedan-style Model 3 was announced in 2017 that it would be starting at an affordable price of roughly $36,000.
On March 14th, Tesla revealed its latest car: Model Y. It’s an affordable SUV crossover, similar to the concept for the Model 3. With the addition of this new car, Tesla finally completed their “S3XY” lineup: Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y (They used “3” instead of “E” since Ford owns the Model E title).
The specs for the standard-range version include a range of 230 miles, speeds up to 120 mph and going 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The car features room for seven people with an optional third row, a 15-inch touchscreen panel, along with an all-glass roof. The standard-range version of the new Model Y is starting at $39,000 and will hit the market in 2021. All of these features are practically unheard of in a more affordable car, let alone an SUV crossover. To reserve one of these cars, a deposit of $2,500 must be placed to be added to the waitlist.
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The reviews of the Model Y have been pretty widely well-received, suggesting this might be the car to outsell all other Tesla models combined. YouTuber Marques Brownlee stated, “I think Model Y could end up being a bigger seller than the Model 3… the best selling SUV’s, especially in the US, are constantly way outselling the best selling cars.” On the other hand, another review of the car from Clean Technica stated, “Overall, the Model Y felt essentially the same as the Model 3, with the added height having essentially no impact on the driving characteristics of the car.” This could imply that the Model Y is too similar to the Model 3 to be worth considering to buy.
So, what do you think collegiettes? Would you consider buying an affordable Tesla SUV-Crossover? I know if I had $2,500 laying around, I would definitely reserve one for myself.