January 9th, 2021 by Steve Hanley
Rumors have been swirling for the past several months that Tesla would soon offer a single motor standard range version of the Model Y to go with its SR+ Model 3 sedan. Elon Musk seemed cool to the idea but last week the company pulled the trigger on the Model Y standard range, which will sell for $41,990 — $8,000 less than the dual motor Model Y Long Range that has been the primary choice of most buyers until now.
Credit: Tesla
The first question everyone will ask is, whats the difference in range? That answer is, quite a lot. The Long Range Model Y is rated at 326 miles. The Standard Range? 244 miles. That’s an 82 mile difference, which is significant. It’s about the entire range of a first generation Nissan LEAF, for example. It will be interesting to see how many people order the Standard Range and how many order the Long Range, now that there is a choice. One of our CleanTechnica crew has already made his choice.
The SR and LR have the same top speed — 135 mph — but the LR gets to 60 mph a half second quicker — 4.8 seconds versus 5.3 seconds. Other than that, the cars are virtually identical. Less range, less money. More range, more money. Pick whichever option fits your wallet and your lifestyle and drive happy. Whichever version you choose, it is available for the first time as a seven passenger vehicle for an additional $3,000. Now we will get to see whether full size adults will actually be able to sit back there. Some people have their doubts.
No, as range would be unacceptably low (< 250 mile EPA)
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2020
Last July, Musk indicated a Standard Range version of the Model Y would simply not be able to travel far enough on a single charge to be acceptable. Apparently something has made him change his mind. Perhaps the demand was simply too strong to ignore. The first rule of marketing, after all, is to give customers what they want. There’s a good chance the MY SR could become Tesla’s best selling car. We know at least one person who wants one. How many more will there be? “We’ll see,” said the Zen Master.
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Selling Teslas in 2012 vs. 2021
About the Author
Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his homes in Florida and Connecticut or anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. You can follow him on Twitter but not on any social media platforms run by evil overlords like Facebook.
