The car that fills the gap in Tesla’s lineup
Model Y is the newest car in Tesla’s impressive lineup of electric vehicles. Due to the prosperity of the luxury sedan Model S, budget Model 3, and SUV Model X, Tesla incorporated aspects from all three cars into Model Y: it is the mid-priced and mid-sized option from Tesla’s lineup with the capacity to seat seven people like Model X and size similar to Model 3. Like other Tesla’s, Model Y boasts an incredible acceleration and a low carbon footprint.
Tesla announced Model Y in March 2019 outside of its headquarters in Los Angeles, California. The audience at the announcement was stunned by Model Y as they were by the previous models, but consumers should be excited that Tesla is following market trends and producing a car that benefits them. Since 2012, the number of sedans sold in the United States decreased from 3 million to 1.9 million (1). Around 70% of cars sold in the United States this year were either SUVs or pickup trucks. Clearly, the demand for SUVs is increasing, but the majority of people cannot spend $85,000 on a new car. Appealing to the market that cannot afford a $57,000 car, the average price for a Luxury Midsize SUV/Crossover in 2019, Tesla announced that Model Y could be purchased for as little as $48,700 (2). However, this does not consider that operating an electric car costs around half the amount as operating a traditional gas car (3). Model Y benefits average consumers who are interested in a large, comfortable, intelligent electric vehicle but are unwilling to spend $85,000.
In addition to being family and budget-friendly, the Model Y also offers one of the safest designs of a crossover SUV. Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk claims the Model Y is the “safest midsize SUV on the road” (4). Model Y contains Head Impact Countermeasures (HICs) throughout the vehicle, which prevents peoples’ heads from slamming into walls or other parts of the car, and uses self-piercing rivets to connect non-similar materials, which are stronger than traditional rivets (4). In addition, the large battery in Teslas gives them a low center of gravity, which makes flipping the Model Y and other Teslas nearly impossible (5).
Unlike other Midsize SUVs and electric cars, Model Y contains many features unique to Teslas. Like other models, Model Y contains Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, signature Tesla features that seem futuristic. Not only can Model Y drive itself on highways, cities, and normal roads, it can also find the driver in a parking lot, saving them the hassle of remembering where they parked their car. Model Y’s 15-inch touchscreen offers Netflix and games for when the car is charging and offers many driving modes from snow to sand to track mode.
As a company, Tesla remains distinguished for its cutting edge designs, safety, features, and consumer-friendliness, and the Model Y provides an SUV that encompasses all of those qualities. This fourth consumer vehicle produced by Tesla leaves consumers wondering what Tesla will create next.
– Matthew Hong
References
- Ulrich, L. (2019, September 12). S.U.V. vs. Sedan, and Detroit vs. the World, in a Fight for the Future. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/business/suv-sedan-detroit-fight.html
- Book, K. B. (2019, May 1). Average New-Car Prices Up 2 Percent Year-Over-Year for April 2019, According to Kelley Blue Book. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/average-new-car-prices-up-2-percent-year-over-year-for-april-2019-according-to-kelley-blue-book-300841489.html
- Is it Cheaper to Own an Electric Car? (2019, October 21). Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://clark.com/cars/electric-car-cheaper/
- Klender, J. (2020, April 7). Tesla Model Y welding efficiencies paves way to better build quality, top safety rating. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-y-welding-efficiency-superior-build-quality-top-safety-rating/
- Lambert, F., Lambert, F., & Fred. (2016, March 9). Tesla “couldn’t flip” the Model X in internal crash tests: a look at the Model X’s safety features. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://electrek.co/2016/03/07/tesla-flip-model-x-crash-tests-safety/Pocket-lint. (2020, February 6).
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