Max Davies
The five best-selling EVs of 2024
In the market for an electric car but not sure where to start? Here are the five models Australians were buying most in 2024.
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About the Tesla Model Y
Last updated Dec 18, 2024The Tesla Model Y is the best selling electric vehicle in Australia, with almost 30,000 sales in 2023, it is also one of the best selling cars in the country outright. Backed by sharp pricing and excellent charging infrastructure provided by Tesla, the Model Y continues to be a popular vehicle for those seeking an EV with ride height and extra boot space.
Pros
- It's a fast as a 911 Carrera S off the line
- Excellent composure in the corners, newfound ride comfort
- You'll wonder what to do with all the space inside
Cons
- Design continues to polarise
- No Apple CarPlay or driver's display might be a deal breaker
- No emotive sound like some BMW models
Tesla Model Y Rating
Tesla Model Y News
2024 Tesla Model Y Reviews
2024 Tesla Model Y Price
Rear-Wheel Drive
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| Automatic, 5-door SUV, Electric, RWD | $60,900 |
Long Range
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| Automatic, 5-door SUV, Electric, 4x4 | $69,900 |
Performance
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| Automatic, 5-door SUV, Electric, 4x4 | $92,020 |
*excl. on-roads
All Tesla Model Y Pricing
2024 Tesla Model Y Specs
See our comprehensive details for the Tesla Model Y
2024 Tesla Model Y Dimensions
1624mm
1921mm
4750mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model.
See all 2024 Tesla Model Y Dimensions2024 Tesla Model Y Boot Space
2024 Tesla Model Y Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the Tesla Model Y
View 48 images
2024 Tesla Model Y Interior
To open the doors on your Tesla Model Y, best to set your smartphone up as a key – but then you’ve also got a Tesla key card to open the doors by swiping it on the B-pillar.
It works rather well and the car automatically unlocks as you walk up to it, and locks itself as you walked away. Wouldn’t just a key fob suffice?
Here’s the thing: while Tesla is all about cutting-edge technology, there’s not a lot on show in the cabin besides a singularly-huge, centrally-mounted,15-inch tablet-style touchscreen. Those boffins at Tesla figure that’s all anyone needs, and to some extent, they’re right.
There’s an equally strong argument for and against, especially for those like this tester, who prior to driving the Model Y Performance wouldn’t have bought a daily driver without Apple CarPlay or even a digital instrument display in front of the steering wheel.
As an avid CarPlay adoptee from its earliest days, I can tell you it was all rather confronting when faced with a journey without it for the first time in years. How is one going to make calls, message colleagues, use Waze or even play music without it? Of course you can do most of these things using Tesla's system but CarPlay is sorely missed.
While Tesla voice commands function well enough most times, simply by pressing a rather annoyingly-fiddly scroll wheel on the steering wheel; asking it to navigate its way home to Collaroy on Sydney’s Northern Beaches immediately had me heading to Colorado in the US – some 13,400 kilometres away as the crow flies.
I tried it several times and got the same result, eventually calling on Siri to intervene.
As tech heavy as the Model Y Performance is, it’s nice to sit back and enjoy the driving experience without any such distractions ahead of you. There’s not even a head-up display to break the single-minded focus and newfound on-road serenity.
The entire dash is completely devoid of knobs, dials and buttons, except for the touchscreen and those fiddly scroll wheels either side of the steering wheel. At this point I’m on the fence as to how I feel about all this.
Despite the Model Y Performance’s lowered suspension, the seating position at its lowest adjustable point puts you well into the car, leaving you feeling like you’ve got a commanding view of the road yet also braced for some proper spirited driving.
The steering wheel itself is relatively small in diameter and nicely tactile, while the all-vegan-upholstered seats are exceptional for their super-soft feel, comfort and support. Easily some of the most comfortable I’ve sat in; though given this Model Y’s performance credentials, adjustable side bolsters might prove a useful feature… Elon.
One of the Model Y’s outstanding features is the quite incredible 13-speaker sound system – most likely using Dolby Atmos surround sound as part of recent upgrades.
2024 Tesla Model Y Safety Rating
Of more than 30 cars tested over 2022, the Tesla Model Y was the “top performer” by ANCAP, scoring a five-star safety rating but also managing the highest average score (weighted across the four criteria) of all vehicles tested.
It achieved a 97 per cent score for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 82 per cent for vulnerable road users, and 98 per cent for safety assist. Unsurprisingly, it is loaded with standard safety technology.
Standard features include:
- 7 airbags incl. front-centre airbag
- Forward, Reverse
- Blind-spot assist
- Lane keep assist
- Reversing, side view cameras
- Front, rear parking sensors
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Automatic high-beam
- Intelligent speed limiter
- Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
- Junction assist
- Backover prevention
The Tesla Model Y is also equipped with Sentry Mode, which uses the car’s nine cameras (internal and external) to monitor any undue interference with the vehicle.
It’s reassuring to say the least, especially when you can observe the car from all angles both internally and externally, and even beep the horn and flash the lights via the Tesla App on your phone once you’ve set up your profile.
2024 Tesla Model Y Fuel Economy
| Tesla Model Y | Fuel Type | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic, 5-door SUV, Electric, RWD | Electric | - |
Cost of ownership
What are the running and servicing costs of a Tesla Model Y?
How does the 2024 Tesla Model Y drive?
Our expert take on Tesla Model Y drivability.
The great thing about driving an EV is there’s no warming anything up like you should do in an combustion-powered car.
You just hop in, move the right-hand instrument stalk up or down and off you blast – it’s that easy. When you arrive at your chosen destination, simply push the button at end of the stalk, get out, and walk away.
There’s no handbrake to worry about or key fob to push – all of that stuff is automatic in the Tesla.
There’s so much instant torque on tap that small gaps in traffic are dealt with ease. And don’t bother about joining the queue of cars at the next set of traffic lights, either – as long as there’s a free lane, use that, and you won’t even need to punch it.
Just a quick prod of the throttle and you’ll be 50 metres down the road before the rest of the mob even get rolling.
With the complete absence of a driver’s instrument display, you obviously don’t have a speedometer ahead of you. Instead, it’s on the top-right-hand corner of the touchscreen at eye-level.
You’ll get used to it in no time at all – but it’s still not the ideal position for a quick glance.
2024 Tesla Model Y Colours
What colours are available for the Tesla Model Y
2024 Tesla Model Y Warranty
This is where Tesla lags behind almost all its rivals – only offering a four-year, 80,000km warranty.
Still, there’s a battery and drive unit warranty than covers eight years/192,000km for AWD Models, which will guarantee a minimum 70 per cent battery retention at that point.
Tesla does not publish specific service intervals, though it recommends a brake fluid check every 24 months, cabin air filters every two years, HEPA filter replacement at three years and an air-conditioning service every four years, in addition to the standard wheel balancing and tyre rotation.
Efficiency-wise the Model Y Performance is slightly worse off than its standard Model Y sibling by claiming an average of 15.4kWh/100km – a figure I got very close to, albeit with the occasional prod of the throttle.
Charging the Model Y Performance at an AC charging box at home means you can go from 0-100 per cent in around 8 hours 15 minutes. Using a Tesla Supercharger cuts the charging time down to 27 minutes.
Tesla is also unique in its ability to offer access to its Australia-wide Supercharger network of more than 50 charging stations, along with plenty of other fast-charging options, too.
Should you buy the 2024 Tesla Model Y
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
Tesla Model Y FAQs
The cheapest Tesla Model Y is the REAR-WHEEL DRIVE that starts from $51,300.
The most expensive Tesla Model Y is the PERFORMANCE that starts from $81,400.
The best towing capacity of a Tesla Model Y is 1600 kg offered by the following variants: REAR-WHEEL DRIVE, LONG RANGE and PERFORMANCE.
The largest Tesla Model Y is the REAR-WHEEL DRIVE which measures 1978mm wide, 4750mm in length and sits 1624mm tall.
The most powerful Tesla Model Y is the PERFORMANCE which has 393kW of power from its ELECTRIC engine.
The Tesla Model Y is built in China and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest Tesla Model Y is the PERFORMANCE which weighs 2405 kg (kerb weight).
The Tesla Model Y uses Electric.