Tesla’s hotly-anticipated Model Y SUV is a step closer to reaching Australian customers.
An image posted on the Tesla Owners Australia group on Facebook and published first by TechAU shows a car carrier loaded with Model Y SUVs on the Hume Freeway.
Exactly when the Model Y will go on sale in Australia hasn’t been confirmed. It has been certified for local roads since late 2021.
The Model Y was initially due Down Under during 2021, but has since been pushed back. Tesla makes the Model 3 and Y in Shanghai, at a plant which has been closed (and subsequently running well below capacity) due to COVID-related lockdowns.
Provided supply is steady it’s expected to be the best-selling Tesla in Australia when orders open, ahead of the Model 3 sedan. Given the Model 3 is also Australia’s best-selling electric car and SUVs are so popular here, the Model Y has a strong chance of taking that crown as well.
Despite supply shortages, Tesla has sold 4481 Model 3s this year to the end of May. That puts it not only far above every other electric vehicle, including the more affordable MG ZS EV, but also above similarly-sized, combustion-powered vehicles like the BMW 3 Series.
The Model Y will reportedly be priced below $70,000 before on-road costs when it goes on sale in Australia.
The hotly-anticipated electric SUV will start at $67,990 before on-road costs for the Standard Range model and extend to $98,172 before on-roads for the all-wheel drive Performance, according to a guide meant for “corporate and industry customers” but published by Chasing Cars.
That starting price aligns the Model Y RWD with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD ($71,900 before on-roads) and Kia EV6 RWD ($67,900 before on-road costs).
For context, the Model 3 range opens at $63,900 before on-roads for the rear-wheel drive base model, and tops out at $88,900 list for a flagship Performance.
Chasing Cars reports the Model Y won’t feature a mid-range, non-Performance all-wheel drive option at launch. It’s likely Tesla will add the option later in the vehicle’s life, however.
The Model Y will offer a choice of 62.28kWh and 82.8kWh battery packs when it arrives in Australia. The smaller of the two batteries will be used in the Standard Range, with the larger battery reserved for the Performance.
Tesla Australia claims the Model Y will offer a range of up to 505km, down from the 602km range claim for the Model 3 Long Range AWD, and the 547km it claims for the Model 3 Performance AWD.
