Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y electric compact SUV will ride on a different platform than the Model 3, allowing for higher manufacturing efficiency. While Musk hasn’t revealed a large amount of information on the Model Y, he told analysts during today’s Q1 earnings call that contrary to expectations, Model Y will ride on a completely different platform. Musk highlighted the reduced wiring in the Model Y will enable faster manufacturing and an overall less complex design. Tesla’s flagship Model S and Model X have approximately 3 km of wiring within the vehicle, while Tesla’s highly anticipated Model 3 will have roughly half of that at 1.5km of wiring. Model Y on the other hand will only have 100m of wiring, a 95% reduction over Model 3.
While wiring isn’t the only difference in the platform, Musk highlights it as a major example of the evolution. The wiring in the Model Y will have different voltage and will handle both power and data across the vehicle. The changes in the vehicle’s design will allow for much higher automation in the factory. Musk viewed the Model Y as a crucial piece to reach the 1 million vehicle production target.
“I mean, also to be clear like the priority vehicle development after the Model 3 would be the Model Y, I guess, the compact SUV, because that’s also a car that where we expect to see demand in the 500,000 to 1,000,000 unit per year level. So it’s the obvious priority after the Model 3.” – Musk from Q2 2016 Earnings Call
Tesla’s future compact SUV is expected to arrive in late 2019 or early 2020 after the company scales up production of the Model 3. While many perceive that Tesla often misses production deadlines, Musk reiterated that the Model X was really a showcase of Tesla’s technical abilities and proved to be very difficult to put into production. The Model Y will be built on a new platform that redesigns the vehicle’s architecture, as Musk stated that 12V electronics would be removed in favor of next-generation electronics. The serial tech entrepreneur explained that the 12V design “isn’t really right” for most electronics, leaving room for improvements.
It’s unclear how much time Tesla’s engineering team is putting into the Model Y currently, as focus remains on Model 3 production and first deliveries. Additionally, we expect Model Y’s new vehicle architecture will eventually debut in the next generation of Model S and Model X, along with the 2170 battery cells being used in Model 3.
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Price, range and design and simplicity and a long life without problems will do it for me. ;)
Since my awareness of cars I always wandering why carmakers makes it so difficult making cars?
So many parts, so many almost unused parts. And after all... 4 years later we have an old car. Loosing lots of value to.
It's clear now. The Tesla Semi is coming first because it is made from Model 3 parts....
No way. A mid-size sedan needs a completely different platform than a Tesla Semi. Your guess about profit seems off as a Semi costs over $200K vs. $35K for M3.
No way. A mid-size sedan needs a completely different platform than a Tesla Semi. Your guess about profit seems off as a Semi costs over $200K vs. $35K for M3.
You need to listen to the latest Tesla conference call. From Electrek: "The CEO disclosed that Tesla Semi shares “a lot” of parts with the Model 3, including the new motors made for the upcoming $35,000 all-electric sedan."
Elon Musk didn't say all parts. He said the motors and other shared parts with the Model 3.
So if you can use a lot of the same parts and the same motors....and you're building them in mass quantity anyway, it means the cost for building the semi will be lower in the long run...meaning higher profit margins for a high dollar product: The semi.
No way. A mid-size sedan needs a completely different platform than a Tesla Semi. Your guess about profit seems off as a Semi costs over $200K vs. $35K for M3.
The Tesla Semi doesn't use the M3 platform. It is simply using the motors and others as said "shared parts" from M3. A system that has already been developed.
This is amazing news. From 3000m to 100m of wiring is incredible. Also moving away from 12v battery infrastructure is very interesting. It will be interesting to see how these changes affect next-generation MS/MX. The MY cannot arrive soon enough. I imagine lots of the delay is GF 3,4,5 need to get going.
Tesla has eliminated the 12 volt lead acid battery and its accompanying wiring. That reduces a lot of parts in the front part of the vehicle. I expect that Tesla has gone from 12 volt lead acid system to a solid state system. Which would mean a lot of miniaturization has gone on and really shrinking the foot print of said system. Ideal for the automation which Tesla is trying for.
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This is amazing news. From 3000m to 100m of wiring is incredible.
I suspect Tesla will be implementing a system similar to one proposed a decade or more ago, where there is a power/data bus that runs around the car with solid-state controls connected to each device. This eliminates the wiring from battery to fuse box to mechanical controls and finally out to the devices. I could see having a separate higher voltage bus for headlights, the heatpump and a few others that require high power vs a low-voltage bus for electronics.
If they are able to come anywhere near production by the end of 2019, they should have the assembly line largely built by now. The idea that they haven't decided where to build cannot be true unless they have pushed production out to 2022. I am amazed they have been able to keep the location secret for so long.
Know lots of you out there are hungry for any bit of Y news:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-model-y-exclusive/exclusive-tesla-targets-november-2019-for-start-of-model-y-production-sources-idUSKBN1HI2ZV
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Here are my guesses:
116.6 Wheel Base
186.8 Total Length
84.6 Wide
62.2 Track.
I then took the M3 pricing and compared it to a BMW 3 series 320i which the Tesla is 5% more sticker price than the 320i, I then compared the BMW X3s price and added 5% to that to get a starting price of $42,052. We could guess that it will either start at $42,000 or $42,500. But if we stick to the 8% increase over the M3 and MX we could be looking at a M.Y price starting at $37,800. Only time will tell but anybody else have any ideas on this?
(...) We could guess that it will either start at $42,000 or $42,500. But if we stick to the 8% increase over the M3 and MX we could be looking at a M.Y price starting at $37,800. Only time will tell but anybody else have any ideas on this?
Am not as sophisticated as you are... ;)
For what it is worth, I would expect the Y to be ~$5-6k above the corresponding Model 3 price...
