On March 13th, the first batch of Tesla Model Y was officially delivered to customers in the United States, two days earlier than the earliest optional date in the delivery notice email sent to the owners.

However, although the cars have started to be delivered, I believe that many users are still unfamiliar with the details of the Model Y.

I wonder how many Model Y pre-order customers are present here and how much you know about the Model Y before receiving the car?

From the perspective of media coverage that has been following the Model Y information for a long time, after the March 2019 press conference, Tesla has hardly proactively released any detailed information about the Model Y. The 35-minute conference gave people the feeling that it ended before it even started.

Moreover, one month before delivery, no one knew the specific size of the Model Y. The only effective information was that Elon had previously hinted on Twitter that the Model Y is 10% larger than the Model 3 in volume.

This forced everyone to guess the specific size of the Model Y by looking at photos of the Model Y test cars taken by American netizens and pictures of the Model 3/Model X in the same frame. This guessing game lasted for a year.

However, photos are just photos, and the difference between standing in the middle and standing on the sides can be significant.

Images from Tesla Owners East Bay

Moreover, as a car model that is more marketable than the Model 3, the Model Y should have received an impressively high number of pre-orders. Elon, as the head of Tesla’s Twitter marketing team, couldn’t help but promote Model 3 and Cybertruck after they received a large number of orders. Why hasn’t the number of Model Y orders been announced?

This is not to say that the number of Model Y pre-orders is low, but rather the phenomenon is somewhat strange.

Model Y Specifications

Model Y, a mid-size SUV based on Model 3, has a similar exterior and interior. This makes it a car model that we are very familiar with, but Tesla’s subtle promotion also makes us feel very strange about this car.

With the delivery of Model Y, more and more information about Model Y has been disclosed to the world. I found a lot of detailed information about Model Y from the user manual of Model Y and the photos sent by foreign users who have already got the car.

Now let’s look at it step by step.

Please add all the missing configuration I had before!

• Car Size

According to the user manual, the length, width, and height of Model Y are 475119211624 mm, the wheelbase is 2890 mm, and the ground clearance is 167 mm.

Compared with Model 3, Model Y has a length of 5.7 cm, a width of 7.1 cm, a height of 18.1 cm, a wheelbase of 1.5 cm longer, and a ground clearance of 2.9 cm higher.

Yes, you are not mistaken. Based on a height higher than Model 3 by 2.9 cm, the overall height of Model Y is 18.1 cm higher than Model 3. However, this height is 6 cm lower than Model X.

The overall dimensions of Model Y are at the same level as Audi Q5L, Mercedes-Benz GLC-L and BMW X3.

• Interior Space and Rear Seats

As one of the newly-delivered users Silver Smith said, the rear space of Model Y is suitable for people with a height of 4-6 feet (1.21 m-1.82 m). The owner himself is 6.4 feet (1.95 m) tall, and he has no problem sitting in the back seat of the car.

Silver Smith also revealed that the backrest angle of Model Y supports two adjustments, and the width of the rear middle seat is about 13 inches (33 cm).

The pictures are from Silver Smith.

From the Model Y user manual, we can also learn that the rear seats of the Model Y support a 4/2/4 folding ratio, and the rear seats can be directly raised through the button in the trunk (electric???). However, folding the seats needs to be done through the handles on the rear seats.

• Trunk Space

We can feel from the photos taken by foreign fans who got the car that compared with Model 3, the trunk opening of Model Y is not only larger, but also has a long-awaited electric tailgate. I believe many Model 3 owners present envy it.

• Curb Weight

The overall size of Model Y is much larger than that of Model 3, and the curb weight has also increased accordingly, reaching 2003 kg (the curb weight of the Model 3 dual-motor all-wheel-drive version is 1874 kg).

• Three Appearance Changes

First, the multiple tree branch-shaped wheels that were previously photographed by netizens will all be equipped with aerodynamic wheel covers when delivered to customers, with the same style as the domestic Model 3 Performance. Owners who choose the Performance upgrade package will be equipped with the new 21-inch wheels as standard.

Second, Model Y supports adding a roof luggage rack.

Third, there is a reserved space for the trailer hitch in Model Y parking space, but the car owner found that it was empty after opening it.

After viewing the information about the appearance and space of Model Y, let’s take a look at some configuration changes inside the car.

• Heat Pump Air Conditioning

The most significant change for Model Y compared to Model 3 is that the air conditioning system has been upgraded from PTC heating to heat pump.

In Model 3, Tesla used PTC heating for the passenger compartment, and the battery heating used the method of motor lock up. According to the testing by “@电池王”, the power required for the motor to transfer heat to the battery was still 6.5 kW, which was not more efficient than PTC.

The advantage of heat pump air conditioning is that it can convert less electricity into more heat, and the key term here is COP (coefficient of performance). The COP of PTC heating is no more than 1, which means that 1 kW of electrical energy can only be converted into less than 1 kW of heat energy. However, for heat pump air conditioning, in an environment above 10 degrees Celsius, the COP can reach 1.5-5, which is much more efficient than PTC.

As mentioned earlier, Model Y has a curb weight of 2003 kg, which is 129 kg heavier than Model 3, and its size is also larger, and its wind resistance is higher. However, the corresponding EPA range of Model Y is only 6 miles less than Model 3.

(On the delivery day, Tesla increased the official website Model Y EPA range from 315 miles to 316 miles.)

One of the important reasons why Model Y achieves such high efficiency is the upgrade of heat pump air conditioning.

• Added Mobile Wireless Charging

From the Model Y user manual, we can learn that the area below the Model Y central control screen has been upgraded to include wireless charging for mobile phones. The charging ports below the wireless charging area have also been upgraded from two USB A ports on the Model 3 to one Type C + USB A port on the Model Y. Similarly, the two USB A ports near the rear air conditioning vents have also been upgraded to Type C.

Interestingly, while traditional automakers have been quick to equip their vehicles with Type C charging ports for faster charging and larger data transfer rates, Tesla has been slower to adopt this technology.

• Added Physical Rear Door Handles

Tesla has added physical rear door handles in the storage compartment of the Model Y’s rear doors.

For those who are not familiar with the Model 3, all four doors of the Model 3 can only be opened using buttons inside the car, with the exception of the front doors, which have physical handles. This has raised concerns among many users about how to open the rear doors in the event of an accident or if the car loses power.

Now, Tesla has added two physical door handles to the rear doors of the Model Y.

• Added Off-Road Assist

According to the user manual, the Model Y now includes an off-road assist feature. When enabled, the vehicle’s power output is smoother, providing stronger traction on muddy roads or in rainy or snowy weather.

These are just some of the details about the Model Y. If you have any new discoveries, feel free to share them with us in the comments.

What is the price of Model Y in China?

According to the official website, the China price for the Model Y is ¥488,800 for the long-range version and ¥535,000 for the performance version. However, given our understanding of Tesla, these prices are clearly on the high side.

The purpose of these inflated prices is likely to encourage potential buyers to choose the Model 3 instead of waiting for the Model Y. Let’s speculate on the price of the Model Y once it is introduced in China (hehe).

Currently, Tesla China’s official website shows that the Model Y will start production no earlier than 2021 with no specific date for deliveries.

Although the Model Y has already started production in the US, according to the 2019 Q4 financial report, the total production number for 2020 was only 150,000. While Tesla has not disclosed the number of Model Y pre-orders, given the demand in the market for the Model Y and the impressive pre-order numbers for the Model 3 in the previous year, the production capability of 150,000 vehicles will likely prioritize addressing the backlogged orders in the US market, with Chinese and other overseas markets beginning deliveries in 2021.

However, 2021 marks the start of the production for the domestic Model Y. Today, Tesla completed the hoisting of the steel structure for the second phase of the Shanghai Super Factory, indicating that Tesla is highly likely to deliver the domestically produced Model Y model directly.

Therefore, the starting price of 488,800 yuan is obviously too expensive.

The imported long-range upgraded version of the Model 3 was priced at 363,900 yuan, while the domestic version was priced at 299,050 yuan, with a price difference of 64,850 yuan. If this price difference is added to the domestic and imported long-range versions of the Model Y, the price for the domestic long-range Model 3 will be roughly around 375,050 yuan.

(Of course, this is only the current projected price. According to Tesla’s plan, the localization rate will increase to 70% in July of this year and 100% by the end of this year. This means that there is still room for price reductions for domestic models.)

Let’s take a look at the pricing of the Model S and Model X.

The long-range version of the Model S is priced at 793,900 yuan, while the long-range version of the Model X is priced at 809,900 yuan, with a difference of only 16,000 yuan.

Currently, the imported dual-motor long-range Model 3 is priced at 439,900 yuan, while the imported same-configured Model Y is priced at 488,800 yuan, with a difference of 48,900 yuan, which is clearly unreasonable.

If we consider the price relationships between the imported/domestic Model 3 and the Model S/X, the price for the domestic long-range Model Y will be at least around 400,000 yuan (375,050 yuan + 16,000 yuan = 391,050 yuan).

As the price of Model Y exceeded 400,000 RMB, it means that Tesla’s mid-size SUV is now priced on par with the mainstream mid-size SUV models from BMW, Benz, & Audi. What will happen once the starting gun fires? Let’s wait and see~

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.