Tesla Model Y production kicks off earlier than expected, with deliveries now slated for March this year.
TESLA ANNOUNCED IN its fourth-quarter earnings report for 2019 that production of its new Model Y has already commenced, far ahead of the projected October timeline previously given.
Deliveries are expected to begin in the US in March, with production capacity at Tesla’s Fremont, California site increasing from 400,000 to 500,000 units per annum, though that capacity includes the production of the recently released Model 3.
The Model Y is essential an SUV spinoff on the Model 3 and will be the most affordable electric crossover Tesla offers. Pre-orders for the model have already started in the US but Australia is yet to open its books, though we’d expected pricing around $80,000 when it does become available.
Along with expedited production, Tesla has also increased the driving range, increasing from 450 kilometers to over 500km (WLTP) on the all-wheel drive model.
“We managed to achieve by far the highest energy efficiency of any SUV ever produced at 4.1 miles per kilowatt hour, which means the Model Y AWD got an EPA rating of 315 miles,” said the report.
Combined with Tesla claiming a profit for the quarter, both making money and producing a new model ahead of schedule is a nice change for Tesla and investors, which saw a tough couple of years of losses and production problems in 2018-19.
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