Out with the old and in with the new. That is the case of Tesla, which today confirmed that it will replace its rear-wheel drive Model Y with a new long-range version.
The long-range rear-drive variant of the Model Y will offer drivers 373 miles on a single charge, a significant improvement over the outgoing model.
Prices will start from £46,990 and deliveries will begin in the coming days.
Tesla has replaced its rear-wheel drive Model Y with a new long-range version and deliveries will begin in the coming days
Last year, the Tesla Model Y was crowned the best-selling car in the world with more than 1.2 million electric crossover SUVs sold by 2023, the first electric vehicle to top global charts.
It was also the most purchased battery-powered car in Britain, by far.
So it makes sense for Tesla to bring a new, better offering to the Model Y lineup by 2025, and it’s doing so by offering a long-range RWD version.
The long-range rear-drive variant that replaces the old rear-drive option increases range from 283 miles WLTP to 373 miles WLTP, an increase of almost a third (32 percent), representing almost 100 miles.
The extra-range Model Y comes with an efficiency rating of 4 miles per kWh, which Tesla says “sets a new standard for electric SUVs.”
Just keep in mind that adding 20-inch induction wheels instead of the standard 19-inch Dark Gemini wheels will reduce the range from 373 miles to 351 miles.
The long-range rear-drive variant that replaces the old rear-drive option increases range from 283 miles WLTP to 373 miles WLTP, an increase of nearly 100 miles.
The 1.22 million Model Y purchased last year represents an increase of 64% compared to 2022 and 480,000 more than in 2021, good news for Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk.
Tesla Model Y 2025: What’s new and what’s the same?
Apart from the crucial aspect of autonomy, there is a small improvement in performance and a change in price.
The 225 kW Long Range RWD has a single motor and combines an energy-dense battery pack, a standard heat pump and low-resistance tires to maximize efficiency.
In terms of performance, the Long Range RWD shaves more than a second off 0-60 mph times, covering the sprint in 5.5 seconds (versus 6.6 seconds for the outgoing RWD). Top speed remains the same at 135 mph.
For the added range the price increase is just £2,000; from £44,990 for the old version to £46,990 for the new one.
But there are no cosmetic changes to the Model Y’s exterior or interior; As expected, Tesla kept the best-selling formula.
Tesla says it “includes everything that propelled Model Y to be the world’s best-selling car in 2023,” meaning “premium materials, convenience, safety and connected features as standard.”
For the almost 100 extra miles of range, the price increase is just £2,000; from £44,990 for the old version to £46,990 for the new
The new long-range rear-wheel drive Model Y can charge up to 250 kW at any of the 150 Supercharger network locations. Tesla estimates that for a driver who travels 10,000 miles a year, a full charge will be enough to cover a week of commuting.
Key features of the long-range Tesla Model Y carried over from the old RWD version
Charging
There’s no denying that Tesla has solved the charging problem with the Supercharger network, and of course the long-range rear-wheel drive Model Y has access to the ultra-fast charger network.
You can charge up to 250 kW at any of the 150 Supercharger network locations. Tesla estimates that for a driver who travels 16,000 kilometers a year, a full charge will be enough to cover a week of commuting.
Inside
The extremely minimalist interior remains exactly the same.
There’s a 15.4-inch screen that essentially houses 99.9 percent of the car’s controls and a host of streaming apps, which are combined with the two click-wheel controls on the steering wheel and the drive selector. and the indicators.
There are five seats and a huge 854-litre boot that increases to 2,041 liters with the rear seats folded, as well as a 117-litre front boot.
There are two interior options, black or black and white. Black is the standard interior and comes with a wooden dash, while the more sterile white option costs an extra £1,100.
The audio system is a 13-speaker setup with a subwoofer, two amplifiers, and surround sound, and it sounds excellent.
The interior of the Model Y remains the same with a black or black and white option, a 15.4-inch touchscreen, and five seats.
Security
The basic Autopilot package includes automatic steering and traffic-sensitive cruise control, while the more advanced Enhanced Autopilot package adds lane change and highway departure assist, as well as Autopark and Summon for an extra £3,400.
The top-level Full Self-Driving Capability package adds traffic light and stop sign control to the enhanced Autopilot features. In the future, this will enable autonomous driving, but will cost you a hefty £6,800.
useful technology
You can precondition the cabin temperature (which is a useful way to maintain range) and the Trip Planner feature is very useful because it will show you where to stop to charge and how long to charge to get to your destination as quickly as possible.
Estimated fuel economy
Using an EV-specific household electricity tariff (Tesla used Intelligent Octopus Go for calculations with costs of 7p/kWh), a Model Y Long Range RWD owner driving 10,000 miles a year would spend approximately £174.61 on charging at home.
As stated, the 373 mile range should cover a full week of travel.
Comparatively, refueling a car with equivalent fuel will cost £1,800 a year. Incredibly, the estimated fuel saving over four years is £6,380.
Of the 25 best-selling new cars globally, only 12 are models available on the UK market.
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