Tesla’s newly rolled out Model Y Standard was supposed to be something incredibly important for the automaker: a cheap entry into the electric crossover market. Instead, what consumers (and Tesla’s all-important investors) got was a Model Y missing enough features that even Tesla’s strongest supporters were left scratching their heads. Hell, it’s not even that cheap, either. As we reported yesterday, the price still starts at $41,630, including destination. That’s just $5,000 cheaper than the much better-equipped Model Y Premium.
Despite that high price, it doesn’t have a radio, the battery — which is smaller — can’t charge as quickly; the motor is less powerful, there’s a dinky little seven-speaker stereo system, you lose a rear screen, the rearview mirrors are no longer power-folding, and the steering wheel is now manually adjustable. On the plus side, it still has the same panoramic glass roof that every Model Y has had in the past. There’s just one problem: you can’t see out of it, since Tesla covered it up with a headliner. You poors don’t get to see the sun, sorry to say.
Since the exterior is still glass, I’d be very interested to know what it looks like up close. I’ve gotta assume Tesla finished it in some way, and it’s not just going to be a weird gluey fastener-laden mess underneath, but you never know. Someone go find me a rube who is going to buy a Model Y so I can look at their car, please.
What’s the point of this?
When asked why the hell they did this by Car & Driver at a launch event that Jalopnik (probably rightfully) wasn’t invited to, a spokesperson for the company said it was more cost-effective than designing and installing a fixed metal roof. I mean, I’m sure that’s the case, but wouldn’t logic dictate that the most cost-effective thing would be to leave the panoramic roof alone?
One engineer who spoke with Edmunds, another publication at the launch event, said that the roof lining actually helps with the Model Y’s efficiency since the air conditioner no longer needs to battle the literal power of the sun blasting through a panoramic roof that isn’t nearly tinted enough. It also apparently helps reduce cabin noise, which is probably needed since Tesla cut out the double-glazing that helped improve the Model Y’s on-road refinement.
All about the upsell
There are most likely valid enough reasons, but it doesn’t take a brain genius to realize why Tesla really did this. More likely than not, Tesla doesn’t actually want you to buy the Model Y Standard. It wants you to see the “low” price of the car, then see everything the Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive gets you for just $5,000 more and buy that instead. Want that panoramic roof that’s going to cook your head in the slightest sunny weather? Give Elon five grand.
What is a bit confusing to me, though, is the fact that this car’s sister, the Model 3 Standard, gets to keep its see-through panoramic roof. I wish I could tell you why that’s the case, but I think if I were to reach out to Tesla’s nearly non-existent PR team, a Grok AI bot would appear on my computer and would never leave.
