Tesla over the weekend introduced a new version of its best-selling Model Y SUV – the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD), with a range of up to 320 miles.
Electric cars are modular – a bit like Lego blocks. Manufacturers typically build one platform and several examples of different components, like batteries or motors. They might have two batteries, both in the same size shell, some filled with more cells for more range. They often have small electric motors that can fit on the front axle, rear axle, or both.
Tesla has long had a Model Y RWD – the least-expensive version of its compact SUV. It has long had a Model Y Long Range – one that uses a more densely-packed battery than the base model. But, until now, it has paired that battery only with two electric motors. That combination creates a Long Range All-Wheel Drive (AWD) version.
Now, Tesla will sell you the biggest battery with just one motor. The new Long Range RWD model starts at $46,630 (including the mandatory $1,390 destination fee and a $250 “order fee” unique to Tesla). But most buyers (depending on income) will qualify for a $7,500 federal EV tax incentive.
Like all Model Y vehicles, it comes standard in a 2-row, 5-seat arrangement. Tesla’s online configurator currently doesn’t let buyers order it with a third row. Those seeking three rows will find that option only on the mid-priced Long Range AWD version.
Replaces Model Y RWD
It instantly becomes the least-expensive model in the Y lineup. The previous Model Y RWD, with its 260-mile range, has disappeared from Tesla’s ordering system.
That car had an asking price of $44,630, fees included, when it was discontinued.
Discontinued Cars May Get More Range
But owners of older Model Y SUVs who would have bought the long-range version had it been available to them may still have options. Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted to his social media site X (formerly Twitter) last week that those models may be capable of adding “40 to 60 miles of range, depending on which battery cells you have.”
The company may allow buyers to unlock the range for “$1,500 to $2,000,” bringing their price and range up to match that of the new model. Musk said the company was waiting for “regulatory approvals to enable this.”
Telsa Model Y Pricing
| Trim Level | MSRP + $1,390 Destination Charge |
| Long Range RWD | $46,630 |
| Long Range AWD | $49,630 |
| Performance AWD | $53,130 |
