In a bit of shocking news, CEO Elon Musk just moved production and deliveries of Tesla’s second crossover, the Tesla Model Y, up six months sooner, breaking a bad habit of delayed promises.
Editor’s Note: We don’t have an update on Aussie pricing or exact range so we have kept the U.S. figures in this piece.
In a letter to investors, Musk announced the Model Y will go into production two whole seasons ahead of schedule, moving the date up from fall of this year to spring, according to The Verge.
The Model Y debuted less than a year ago, promising a crossover that’s essentially just a slightly bigger version of the Tesla Model 3, but still smaller than the Tesla Model X SUV.
The Model Y will now also ship with more range than initially promised, up to 315 miles (506km) from the previous estimate of just 280 miles (450km).
According to Tesla’s website, only the Long Range and Performance models are currently available for order. The Long Range starts at $US52,990 ($78,533) before any incentives or “potential savings,” and offers a claimed 315 miles of range, a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 135 mph.
The Performance starts at $US60,990 ($90,389) before any incentives or savings, and also gets 315 miles (506km) of claimed range, a zero to 60 mph (around 96 km/h) time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 145 mph.
It’s not clear which Model Y will be produced first, nor is it clear when any of the previously announced additional models, including “Standard Range” and “Dual Motor AWD” versions, will see the light of day.
Jalopnik reached out to Tesla for more information on the rest of the Model Y lineup and will update when more information is available.
Since its debut, Musk has confirmed that “affordable” versions of the Model Y would be produced, at least in part, at the company’s newly-opened Shanghai Gigafactory, likely only to serve the Chinese market. The rest of production will come out of Tesla’s Fremont factory alongside the rest of the company’s lineup.
You can access the Model Y configurator here.