What of the Tesla Model Y, indeed? Tesla might just roll out a Model Y in due time, which would be the company’s fourth production car in its range. The Model Y will, in all probability, be a SUV (sports utility vehicle) that will keep up with the times, although there is every chance that the Model Y will be more compact in its form factor, unlike the Model X. The whole idea of releasing a smaller sized Model Y SUV to the market? To make sure that the electric vehicle revolution catches on as the entry price point is reduced to more affordable levels. Not only that, the Model Y would also jive with the long running joke involving Tesla’s naming convention for its models, completing the “S3XY” acronym after the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model 3, and Tesla Model X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long made answering questions via Twitter an art before Donald Trump became President, and he recently mentioned in a direct message to Ars Technica concerning the question of when will we see a Model Y, with “Next week” as the answer. In other words, early April would be when the world might know more about the rumored Tesla Model Y, which would also be the company’s fourth model if it were to be realized
There are other reasons to speculate that the Model Y is in the pipeline apart from the “S3XY” acronym. Musk himself made mention of the Model Y on an earnings call in 2016, citing that this particular ride could be the main focus of the company after the Model 3. This is because Model Y is intended to be the next strongest available offering from Tesla where demand is concerned, and a compact SUV is what the masses want at the moment. Using a similar basic platform as the Model 3, this would also cut down plenty of time and cost in terms of research and development, since the Model 3’s platform has been specially designed to accommodate various chassis configurations for different purposes.
We have also learned that Tesla would phase out its affordable versions of the Model S some time next month, so those who would like to pick up the more affordable Model S models might want to make a beeline to the nearest Tesla showroom. Do you think that the Model Y’s introduction, if proven to be true, will provide a much needed boost in the proverbial arm of the electrical vehicle industry? In the first place, is there even adequate demand for an all-electric SUV? Those who purchase SUVs and would love to spend time in the outskirts, or even weeks on end on a logging trail, would definitely stick to the diesel or petrol types for one obvious reason -- you are not going to find a Supercharger or a power outlet deep in the jungles.
All in all, we will simply have to play the patience card and see what Musk announces via Twitter next week.
