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Tesla Model Y

The Tesla Model Y is perfectly timed for Europe’s crossover market growth

The Tesla Model Y crossover. (Credit: Tesla)

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The Model Y may be Tesla’s most disruptive vehicle yet, and this will likely be evident in Europe, where crossover sales are expected to increase in the coming years. Tesla’s Giga Berlin is estimated to go online in July 2021 and it will start with the production of the Model Y. Looking at the target timeframes for the facility, Elon Musk’s electric car company seems to have timed the rollout of the crossover perfectly to make most of its potential the region.

The Silicon Valley-based carmaker continues its progress in Grunheide. Just this week, the state government announced that there’s enough water for the upcoming car factory and reassured local residents, businesses, and concerned environmental groups that Tesla will not compromise their water supply. The state parliament is also waiting for the second appraisal of the industrial property where Giga Berlin will be built. Once that review is done, the purchase is expected to be completed and that’s practically a green light for full construction activities to begin.

While Tesla will get busy this year in building Giga Berlin from the ground up, LMC Automotive believes the sales of compact SUVs in the region will be flat. The automotive forecasting firm predicts that sales in the segment will just hit the 2 million mark as car manufacturers transition from older vehicles to EVs. Just as Giga Berlin turns its gears to mass-produce the Model Y, LMC expects an uptick in crossover sales to 2.1 million units per year, rising to about 2.8 million by the mid-2020s.

Credit: Reddit/u/lastnamethai

In the first 11 months of 2019, JATO Dynamics plotted an increase in compact SUV sales in several European countries such as Germany (12%), the UK (6.2%), France (4.3%), Italy (1.7 percent), and Spain (5.2%), but this trend might be disrupted this year as carmakers introduce new vehicles designed to meet tougher European emissions requirements.

The effectivity of the tough emission regulations started Jan. 1 this year. New vehicles are expected to spew out lesser carbon dioxide or to be more precise, about 95 grams of CO2 on average per kilometer by 2021. If automotive manufacturers fail to meet this standard, they can expect hefty fines that overall may reach billions of dollars. Europe’s car industry may not be fully prepared for this. Even German car giants such as Volkswagen are struggling to keep up.

The star of the show will be green vehicles, particularly all-electric cars. Tesla does not have the weight of fuel-guzzling vehicles in its fleet, and it also has the Model 3 that drove the EV market growth in Europe by becoming the third best-selling model last December 2019. With the Model Y estimated to start rolling out from Giga Berlin by 2021, Tesla will be able to meet the predicted demand for compact SUVs, which, according to estimates, will be higher then. This could result in the all-electric crossover seeing a lot of success in the European market.

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Between now and when the Germany-made Model Y hits the market, Tesla would be in a good position to make use of “advanced manufacturing technologies” and “battery technologies that can blow people’s minds.” Such factors may increase production, lower the cost of vehicles, and increase profit margins. All these three can be utilized for Tesla’s Model Y push.

The Tesla Model Y (Source: Tesla)

In a way, Germany is already laying a path for the arrival of compelling all-electric crossover SUVs. The German government is encouraging consumers to buy electric cars using purchase grants and ownership tax exemption for 10 years. The country also halved its company car taxes, and has introduced perks such as free parking and the use of bus lanes, among others.

All Tesla has to do is make sure it produces enough units of the Model Y to meet the demand in the region. Unlike its competitors, Tesla makes pure EVs, so the CO2 emission of its fleet will meet regulations. It’s years ahead in terms of battery technologies that are practically the lifeblood of the EV industry as well. Before competitors catch up, Tesla would be in another position that will make legacy carmakers scratch their heads.

Fortunately for Tesla, the Model Y is the product of years’ worth of innovations in vehicle production, including the painful growing pains that the electric car maker experienced with the Model 3. Details about the Model Y’s production process are few for now, though speculations are abounding that the crossover will adopt a number of design elements that will make it simple and cost-effective to produce. This matters a lot, since the Model Y will be priced higher than the Model 3 sedan, giving Tesla more profits .

The Model Y does not just complete the S3XY vehicles of Tesla but it will be a juggernaut, that like the Model 3, will disrupt the automotive industry. As Germany’s and the rest of Europe’s air get cleaner and cleaner in the near future, Tesla’s coffers will likely be filled with some healthy profits.

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Tesla sales soar in Norway with new Model Y leading the charge

Tesla recorded a 54% year-over-year jump in new vehicle registrations in June.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is seeing strong momentum in Norway, with sales of the new Model Y helping the company maintain dominance in one of the world’s most electric vehicle-friendly markets.

Model Y upgrades and consumer preferences

According to the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), Tesla recorded a 54% year-over-year jump in new vehicle registrations in June. The Model Y led the charge, posting a 115% increase compared to the same period last year. Tesla Norway’s growth was even more notable in May, with sales surging a whopping 213%, as noted in a CNBC report.

Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association (NEVA), stated that Tesla’s strong market performance was partly due to the updated Model Y, which is really just a good car, period.

“I think it just has to do with the fact that they deliver a car which has quite a lot of value for money and is what Norwegians need. What Norwegians need, a large luggage space, all wheel drive, and a tow hitch, high ground clearance as well. In addition, quite good digital solutions which people have gotten used to, and also a charging network,” she said.

Tesla in Europe

Tesla’s success in Norway is supported by long-standing government incentives for EV adoption, including exemptions from VAT, road toll discounts, and access to bus lanes. Public and home charging infrastructure is also widely available, making the EV ownership experience in the country very convenient.

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Tesla’s performance in Europe is still a mixed bag, with markets like Germany and France still seeing declines in recent months. In areas such as Norway, Spain, and Portugal, however, Tesla’s new car registrations are rising. Spain’s sales rose 61% and Portugal’s sales rose 7% last month. This suggests that regional demand may be stabilizing or rebounding in pockets of Europe.

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Tesla upgrades Model 3 and Model Y in China, hikes price for long-range sedan

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles).

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla has rolled out a series of quiet upgrades to its Model 3 and Model Y in China, enhancing range and performance for long-range variants. The updates come with a price hike for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which now costs RMB 285,500 (about $39,300), up RMB 10,000 ($1,400) from the previous price.

Model 3 gets acceleration boost, extended range

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles), up from 713 km (443 miles), and a faster 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 3.8 seconds, down from 4.4 seconds. These changes suggest that Tesla has bundled the previously optional Acceleration Boost for the Model 3, once priced at RMB 14,100 ($1,968), as a standard feature.

Delivery wait times for the long-range Model 3 have also been shortened, from 3–5 weeks to just 1–3 weeks, as per CNEV Post. No changes were made to the entry-level RWD or Performance versions, which retain their RMB 235,500 and RMB 339,500 price points, respectively. Wait times for those trims also remain at 1–3 weeks and 8–10 weeks.

Model Y range increases, pricing holds steady

The Model Y Long Range has also seen its CLTC-rated range increase from 719 km (447 miles) to 750 km (466 miles), though its price remains unchanged at RMB 313,500 ($43,759). The model maintains a 0–100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds.

Tesla also updated delivery times for the Model Y lineup. The Long Range variant now shows a wait time of 1–3 weeks, an improvement from the previous 3–5 weeks. The entry-level RWD version maintained its starting price of RMB 263,500, though its delivery window is now shorter at 2–4 weeks.

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Tesla continues to offer several purchase incentives in China, including an RMB 8,000 discount for select paint options, an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, and five years of interest-free financing for eligible variants.

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Tesla firmware shows new Model Y seat configuration is coming

Tesla could be adding another seating configuration beside the seven-seater to the Model Y lineup later this year.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla firmware has been a great place for some to reveal what the company has in the pipeline, and a new seating configuration for the best-selling Model Y looks to be on the way.

Last week, we reported that Tesla was already hinting toward a 7-seater configuration of the Model Y in a promotional email it sent to those on its contact list.

However, firmware revealed by Tesla hacker greentheonly is showing that a new seating configuration is on the way — a six-seater:

Green says the configuration would not be available in China-only, and will be potentially for sale in other markets as well.

The six-seat and seven-seat configurations of the Model Y were available in the Legacy version of the vehicle, but were met with mixed reviews, as many complained about the lack of legroom in the third row.

This was something that was a real concern for many of those owners who needed something larger than the traditional five-seat variant, but did not want to buy the much more pricey Model X.

We’ve covered the size of that third row on several occasions.

Some owners even took the idea of having a seven-seater into their own hands:

Tesla Model Y third row seat test explores options for a comfortable 7-seat setup

Tesla did not explicitly announce a six-seater configuration of the Model Y, but Lars Moravy, the company’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, said the seven-seater would come to production later in 2025.

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