"Today, Tesla announced a new variant of the Model Y crossover for North America. Tesla fans have long-awaited a cheaper entry-level model; this was supposed to be the $25,000 Model 2. But the development of that electric vehicle was shelved earlier last year as CEO Elon Musk began to lose interest with car-making in favor of humanoid robots."
"The new Standard Range Model Y starts at $39,990, with 321 miles (516 km) of range from its rear-wheel drive powertrain, compared to the now-Premium rear-wheel drive Model Y, which has an EPA range of 357 miles (574 km). In the past, Tesla has software-locked batteries to a smaller configuration; however, here we believe the Standard Range Model Y uses a 69 kWh pack."
"The cheaper Model Y is decontented in other ways. There's no AM or FM radio, and no touchscreen in the back for passengers to control their climate settings. The roof is metal, not panoramic glass, and there's a simpler center console and manual adjustment for the steering wheel. Tesla has reduced the choice of interior trim materials, there's a less-capable particulate filter (with no HEPA mode), and there's no seat heating for the back seats or cooling for the front seats."
Tesla introduced a Standard Range Model Y for North America priced at $39,990. The vehicle provides 321 miles (516 km) of range from a rear-wheel drive powertrain, compared with 357 miles (574 km) for the now-Premium rear-wheel drive Model Y. The Standard Range is believed to use a 69 kWh battery pack despite Tesla's history of software-locking battery configurations. A previously planned $25,000 Model 2 was shelved after CEO Elon Musk shifted focus toward humanoid robots. Car sales remain the majority of Tesla's revenue. The IRS clean vehicle tax credit removal may have boosted Q3 2025 US EV sales, but sales are expected to dip this quarter. The cheaper Model Y removes several amenities, trims interior options, and downgrades filtration and seat climate features.
Read at Ars Technica
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