The all-new Tesla Model Y has just showed its long-waited face at showrooms in Los Angeles ahead of a nationwide launch, with deliveries expected to start in March. The car’s full-self-driving setup—called V13—has got Tesla diehards in a lather with the expectation that actually full self-driving is finally here.
In the UK, meanwhile, the eagerly anticipated Model Y is just a few weeks away but is already on display in Tesla’s Tesla Centres in Manchester and London. With the Rear-Wheel Drive variant starting at £44,990, costs have just been disclosed.
The increased pricing not only puts the new Model Y at a £5,000 premium above its main competitor, the new Xpeng G6, but it also means that Tesla owners will have to pay more road tax because of the upcoming Expensive Car Supplement, which will apply to cars costing more than £40,000 starting on April 1.
The price of the Tesla Model Y with long-range rear-wheel drive starts at £48,990. Compared to the Long Range Xpeng G6, that is £4,000 more.
In terms of range, the new Model Y does surpass its Xpeng G6: the Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y boasts a maximum of 311 miles, whereas the identical Xpeng can only do 270 miles. Compared to the Long Range Xpeng’s 354-mile range, the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y can only travel up to 387 miles between charges.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
With its new sleek exterior, the new Model Y certainly looks the part and offers FSD, although that will only be in certain markets given regulations in different countries. But to be honest, we wonder how sales will go given the adverse effects that Elon Musk’s antics are having not only in the US but Europe too.