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Tesla Model Y CARB certification published, hinting at stellar range and imminent delivery
Tesla Model Y’s certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is out and this is a huge development for consumers longing to get behind the wheel of the all-electric crossover.
Automotive journalist Bozi Tatarevic first spotted the Tesla Model Y Performance All-Wheel Drive CARB certification online, which fueled speculation by user Alter Viggo that first deliveries of the Model Y might start soon. Alter Viggo recalled that the electric carmaker signed the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3’s certificate about 25 days before making the first deliveries in July 2017.
https://twitter.com/AlterViggo/status/1216862750837739527?s=20
Based on the document posted on the website, the Model Y’s Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) is 441.91 miles. The UDDS is the mandated dynamometer test of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for light-duty vehicles and represents how far an electric vehicle can go on a single charge.
One should take note that the UDDS is only for the purpose of certification and does not reflect the real-world range. According to Tatarevic, “It roughly translates to real-world city range with a multiplier of 0.7 so this would mean an estimate of around 309 miles of city range for the Model Y.” The electric car manufacturer lists the Model Y Performance range on its website as 280 miles based on EPA estimates. If the Model Y hits a range of around 309 miles, this puts it close to the range of its Model 3 sibling that hits 310 miles on a single charge. However, while the two vehicles share about 75 percent of their DNA, the electric crossover would be heavier than the two and that would logically affect range unless Tesla was able to find a way to boost the range of the Model Y.
Tesla originally planned to make the first Model Y deliveries by the Fall of 2020 but later on moved the schedule up to Summer this year. Of course, there are speculations in the electric vehicle community that it might do it sooner. There have been more and more sightings of the electric crossover around the United States lately and the Model Y prototypes recently spotted were looking more refined and production-ready. These sightings of seemingly-production ready units on the road might be another strong indication that Tesla is ready to handover the Model Y to consumers soon. If Tesla delivers the Model Y soon, it will be a big boost for the brand as it beats production schedule expectations and hits the market that’s hungry for SUVs.
The Model Y will be produced at Tesla’s Fremont facility but CEO Elon Musk has also formally launched the Model Y program in China during the recent Gigafactory 3 event in Shanghai. Likewise, the vehicle will also be produced during the initial phase of production once Gigafactory 4 in Germany is up and running.
Musk has also expressed confidence in the upcoming all-electric crossover saying that the Model Y demand might be even higher than the combined demands for existing Tesla vehicles. The Model Y is expected to go on a head-on collision with other luxury crossovers such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and the Jaguar I-PACE. It will most likely take a bite of the market share of more affordable rides such as Toyota’s RAV4 and the Honda CR-V.
The Model Y Performance will have a purchase price of $61,000 while the Rear-Wheel Drive Long Range and Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive Long Range will cost $8000 and $52,000, respectively.
Tesla has officially launched the Model Y L in the United States and Puerto Rico for $61,990. It is the longer-wheelbase version of the Model Y, and has been available in China since last year.
Tesla brings the Model Y L to the U.S. just months after it phased out the only pure SUV in its lineup, the Model X. It is slightly longer than the Model Y configurations that are already available in the U.S., and features a three-row, six-seat setup with Captain’s Chairs being among the many features that make this a truly fantastic offering.
The Model Y L is priced competitively at $61,990, and features 325 miles of range and a 0-60 MPH in just 4.4 seconds.
Tesla also added a handful of new features that are not available in even the Premium Model Y. Here’s a full list of its features:
- Heated/Ventilated Front Seats with Powered Thigh Cushion
- Heated/Ventilated Captain’s Seats in Second Row with Powered Armrests & One-Touch Fold
- Heated Third-Row Seats with Power Recline, One-Touch Fold & Child Seat Anchors
- Improved Airflow, Increased Efficiency, More Range
- 89 cubic feet of trunk space
- Upgraded Acoustic Glass and Suspension to Minimize Road Noise
- Adaptive Damping for a Smooth, Stable Ride
- Staggered Tires for Enhanced Grip
- Larger Tailgate for Better Rear Visibility and Bigger Windows Overall
- 16″ First Row and 8″ Second Row Touchscreens
- 19-Speaker Immersive Tesla Audio
- 50W Wireless Charging Pads with Active Cooling and Charging Ports for All Other Seats
- FSD Supervised and Integrated Grok AI
Tesla is also delivering these first units as a “Launch Series,” which comes with additional features, such as:
- Door Trim Puddle Lights
- Suede Dashboard Wing
- Exterior and Interior Badging
- Floor Mats
- Sill Plates
The launch of the Model Y L in the U.S. marks a huge offering from Tesla to U.S. consumers. People have been calling for Tesla to bring a larger car to the U.S., and it needed it more than ever now that the Model X is gone.
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- Credit: Tesla
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- Credit: Tesla
It is a huge accomplishment for Tesla to get the Model Y L to the U.S., and after reporting strong deliveries today, it will be interesting to see how this car impacts future quarterly delivery reports.
Deliveries for the Model Y L “Launch Series” are slated for September or October of this year.
Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.
The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.
The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”
Looking forward to the long weekend pic.twitter.com/URzH6zOUdn
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 1, 2026
Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.
With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.
However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.
Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:
This looks like a Model Y L https://t.co/TpnBwrLmH9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 2, 2026
This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.
Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.
Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.
Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.
It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.
As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.
The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.
It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.
Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements
While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.
This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.
Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.
The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:
🚨 If you’re a Tesla investor, this is one interview you don’t want to skip. The full video posted below.
Jeff Lutz @thejefflutz and I sat down with Tesla VP of Engineering Lars Moravy, and it was packed with insights!
A few of the biggest takeaways:
• Cybercab is expected to… pic.twitter.com/fhYSr2dCqP
— Herbert Ong (@herbertong) July 1, 2026
Tesla brings Model Y L ‘Launch Series’ to the U.S. at $61,990
Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.
