Tesla Model Y: everything you need to know

Tesla may still be ironing out the production glitches on the assembly line of its popular Model 3 saloon but that hasn’t stopped it from adding a new vehicle to its all-electric range.

The new car, dubbed the Model Y, will be positioned as a smaller and cheaper version of the company’s Model X SUV.

Tesla chief Elon Musk disclosed key information about the vehicle during an earnings call with investors and analysts on 2 May. The electrified compact crossover isn’t expected to launch for another two years.

Here’s everything we know so far about the Model Y:

When is it coming out?

An official release date has yet to be announced for the Model Y but Elon Musk has confirmed that production is set to begin in “early 2020.” 

During a controversial earnings call with analysts on 2 May, where he cut short “boring” questions about the company’s financial situation, Musk said production would start “24 months from now, so 2020 is a more likely prospect for Model Y.”

How much will it cost?

The Model Y will be one of the company’s cheaper vehicles, according to Business Insider. The compact SUV is likely to carry a similar $35,000 (£26,000) price tag to the Model 3 saloon.

Unfortunately, official figures are unlikely to be announced until closer to the car’s release. 

What will it look like?

Details of the Model Y’s design are scarce as Tesla has only released a shadowy preview image [pictured top] of the vehicle. 

What has been confirmed, however, is that the Model Y will be a compact crossover that sits below the company’s Model X SUV, reports Teslarati. 

Early rumours suggested the Model Y would be built with the same production architecture as the Model 3, but TechRadar says that Tesla has developed a new platform for the electric SUV. 

Along with new architecture, the Model Y will have a “more striking design” than the other cars in Tesla’s range, according to Autocar. The preview image indicates the SUV will have no door mirrors. These are a legal requirement on road cars.

The magazine says Tesla may replace the door mirrors with cameras and “internally mounted displays” to give drivers a rear-facing view.

Will it have the same production problems as the Model 3? 

It’s no secret that Tesla has experienced a series of issues with the manufacturing of its Model 3 saloon. 

The company halted production of the budget EV to “improve automation and systematically address bottlenecks” in February. This was followed by another temporary factory shut-down in April.

However, Musk said in Tesla’s earnings call that the Model Y would be a “manufacturing revolution.”

“It will be, I think, incredible from a manufacturing standpoint, because we do not want to go through this pain again”, he added. 

To streamline the manufacturing process, Electrek says that Tesla plans to announce the location of a new factory for Model Y production by the final quarter of this year.

Due to a lack of space at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, the company has opted for a new facility, The Verge reports. The Model 3 will be manufactured in this undisclosed new site.