- Tesla said in a presentation to investors that production plans for the new Model Y crossover are ahead of schedule, as reported by Green Car Reports.
- It was originally supposed to start production in late 2020, but the timeline has now been moved up to summer 2020.
- The Model Y will initially start at $49,200 for the rear-wheel-drive Long Range model, and orders are open now on Tesla's website.
Although Tesla faced many delays in launching its first crossover, the Model X, the company now claims that its second crossover, the Model Y, will arrive ahead of schedule. In a presentation to investors, Tesla said it now plans to start production of the Model Y by summer 2020; initial plans called for production to begin in late 2020.
Tesla says it has already begun installing equipment at its factory in Fremont, California to build the Model Y, which is based on the Model 3 and shares many components with that sedan. The company also plans to eventually build the Model Y at its new Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, and at a planned Gigafactory in Europe. The presentation cites "learnings and efficiencies gained from our Gigafactory Shanghai factory design" as a key reason for the accelerated timeline.
Tesla has not yet updated the Model Y's arrival date on its consumer website, as the ordering page for the Model Y still claims that production will start late next year for the Long Range and Performance versions and in early 2021 for the least expensive Standard Range model. Pricing ranges from $40,200 for the Model Y Standard Range to $62,200 for the Model Y Performance. The Standard Range claims a driving range of 230 miles, while the Long Range ups that number to 300 miles on a charge.