- tesla ceo elon musk explained on twitter that the standard range model y was dropped from the automaker's online configurator because it doesn't meet the company's "standard of excellence."
- the vehicle appeared on the tesla online configurator in january, and late last week its price was cut by $2000.
- currently, the standard range model y is available for order only over the phone or in person at tesla showrooms.
the tesla standard range model y has been on a price and availability roller coaster over the past week. first, the automaker dropped the price of the 244-mile standard range model y by $2000, to $41,190. then, just days later, the vehicle completely disappeared from the online configurator. the remaining two versions of the model y are the long range (with 326 miles of range) at $50,190 and the performance (with 303 miles) at $62,190. tesla did not explain where the standard range car had gone on its website, but today ceo elon musk explained the reason for the model's disappearance via twitter.
responding to a tweet inquiring about the vehicle's disappearance, the tesla ceo wrote, "it is still available off menu, but i don’t think the range, in many drive conditions, yet meets the tesla standard of excellence." that standard of excellence can be assumed to mean the model y's sub-250-mile range.
this isn't the first time the standard range model y has been pulled from the online configurator for that reason. in july 2020, musk tweeted that the vehicle would not go into production because of its "unacceptably low (<250-mile epa)" range.
in january 2021, the model y variant appeared online with its 244 miles of range, along with news of a third-row option for the model y lineup. while it couldn't cover the same amount of ground per charge as the rest of the automaker's lineup, it was a fresh choice for those looking to save some cash on the model y.
then the trim level's price was dropped by $2000 last week before it was removed from online ordering on monday. musk's mention of its being available "off menu" means that people can still order the vehicle over the phone and in person at tesla showrooms. that status doesn't bode well for the longevity of the model y variant. this is the same process potential tesla owners had to go through to purchase the $35,000 model 3 in 2019, before the company discontinued that trim level altogether.