TESLA PICKUP: KRIS HORTON58
TESLA
MODEL Y,
PICKUP
ON SALE:
Model Y: Late 2020
Pickup: 2021 (est)
BASE PRICE:
Model Y: $40,200
Pickup: $50,000 (est)Another late-night tweet or podcast
appearance by Tesla CEO Elon Musk
can make the following information
irrelevant, but here’s what we know so far
about the highly anticipated 2021 Tesla
Model Y crossover. Musk says it will have
the functionality of an SUV but ride like a
sports car, and we’re certainly down with
that. The Y is a cross between the more
affordable Model 3 sedan and the bigger
and pricier Model X crossover, minus the
falcon-wing doors. The standard rear-
drive version of the electric crossover
starts at $40,200 and offers 230 miles of
range. Tesla states that Standard Range
production should begin in late 2020 for
the U.S. and early 2021 for Europe and
China. Expect to pay at least $48,200 for
Long Range variants, which can reach
an estimated 300 miles, and add $4,000
for dual-motor all-wheel-drive upgrades.
Power fiends will want the Performance
version, which offers 280 miles of range
and starts at $61,200—give or take the
inevitable discounts sporadically offered
depending on the day’s stock market
share fluctuations. Tesla claims a recharge
time of 15 minutes for 168 miles of range
via its pay-per-use network of more than
12,000 Superchargers around the globe.
Autopilot only adds another $3,000,
and if you want to nap while a Model Y
scoots you to work, a Full Self-Driving
pack costs $5,000. Tesla claims the add-
on will allow the SUV to recognize and
respond to traffic lights and stop signs,
automatically drive itself to its owner in a
parking lot, negotiate streets, and deliver
fully automated driving from on-ramp
to off-ramp. Standard goodies include a
panoramic glass roof, emergency braking,
collision warning, blind-spot monitoring,
a 15.0-inch touchscreen, and split-foldingseats that expand the cargo room by
66 cubic feet. Plus, there’s more cargo
space under the hood in the frunk. Add
another $3,000, and a third row of seats
can expand capacity from five to seven
passengers. The faithful can order one
today with a $2,500 deposit—or you can
take home an all-electric Audi or Jaguar
today. Your choice.
Musk also recently told the world
that the Tesla Pickup will start at less
than $50,000 when it rolls out, a pricethat would undercut the Rivian R1T
by at least $20,000. The “cyberpunk”
pickup is slated to go into production
sometime after the Model Y. Last year
Musk tweeted that the dual-motor Pickup
will have crazy torque and a suspension
that dynamically adjusts for the load.
He also has said the Pickup will be “a
better truck than an F-150 in terms of
trucklike functionality and be a better
sports car than a standard 911. That’s the
aspiration.” It’s good to have goals. AM