Tesla Model Y Standard Range orders cross 15,000 units in 2 days [Update]

On July 8, 2021, China received a new Tesla Model Y Standard Range that retails at CNY 291,840, which converts to a little over USD 45,500. Factoring in a subsidy of up to CNY 15,840 or approximately USD 2,500, the price reduces to CNY 276,000, which is close to USD 43,000.

A report from lanjinger.com said that Tesla more received more than 10,000 orders for the new base Model Y Standard Range on the launch day. On the second day, there were more than 5,000 orders. A Tesla sales consultant told the Chinese website that customers placing an order will need to wait until the end of August or longer for the delivery.

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The new Tesla Model Y Standard Range is pulling big numbers right from launch because of its affordability. The reason for its attractive price is the different cell chemistry compared to current variants. Tesla is using iron-based lithium-ion cells instead of nickel-based lithium-ion cells in the battery pack. Nickel-based lithium-ion cells have higher energy density and provide a longer range, but iron-based lithium-ion cells are cheaper to produce and have a longer life.

525 km (326 miles) range for the Model Y Standard Range

Unsurprisingly, Tesla hasn’t disclosed the energy content, power, or torque of the new Model Y Standard Range on its official website. However, we have unearthed these details from government filings and covered them further inside this story.

The new base Model Y variant has a range of 525 km as per China’s NEDC method. A single rear motor powers the rear wheels, and there’s no third-row seat option. 19-inch alloy wheels are standard, but 20-inch alloy wheels are available optionally.

A 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in the new Tesla Model Y Standard Range takes 5.6 seconds. That makes the new base variant 0.6 seconds slower than the Long Range AWD variant and 1.9 seconds slower than the Performance AWD variant. The top speed is the same as that of the Long Range AWD variant – 217 km/h (135 mph). The new variant could arrive in the U.S. and other markets later this year.

Two new upcoming Tesla Model Y variants

The Tesla Model Y will gain two new variants in China, which will expand the total to five. The first will have the same 60 kWh LFP battery pack as the 525-km (326-mile) range variant. However, the range will be higher – 545 km (339 miles). The second variant will have a 78.4 kWh battery pack that provides a range of 640 km (398 miles).

We think that the former will likely become its new entry-level configuration and should benefit from a CNY 15,840 government subsidy. The 640-km (398-mile) variant will get the Performance AWD variant’s larger battery pack. It will have the same front motor as the Long Range AWD and Performance AWD variants, but the rear motor specs will fall between the outputs of these variant’s respective rear motors.

To avoid confusion, we have listed all the present and upcoming variants with their specs in the table, which also represents our expected positioning in terms of pricing (from left to right):

Aspect\Specification	New Variant 1	Standard Range RWD	Long Range AWD	New Variant 2	Performance AWD
Price (excl. subsidy)	To Be Announced	CNY 291,840	CNY 347,900	To Be Announced	CNY 387,900
Subsidy Eligibility	Unconfirmed (Likely)	Yes (CNY 15,840)	No	Unconfirmed (Unlikely)	No
Battery Pack Type	LFP	LFP	Lithium-ion	Lithium-ion	Lithium-ion
Battery Pack Energy Content	60.0 kWh	60.0 kWh	76.8 kWh	78.4 kWh	78.4 kWh
Battery Pack Energy Density	126.00 Wh/kg	126.00 Wh/kg	161.00 Wh/kg	168.00 Wh/kg	168.00 Wh/kg
Power Consumption (NEDC)	12.70 kWh/100 km	13.00 kWh/100 km	13.60 kWh/100 km	13.60 kWh/100 km	15.60 kWh/100 km
Range (NEDC)	545 km	525 km	594 km	640 km	566 km
Drivetrain Layout	RWD	RWD	AWD	AWD	AWD
No. of Motor(s)	One	One	Two	Two	Two
Front Motor Type	–	–	ASM	ASM	ASM
Front Motor Power	–	–	137 kW	137 kW	137 kW
Front Motor Torque	–	–	219 Nm	219 Nm	219 Nm
Rear Motor Type	PMSM	PMSM	PMSM	PMSM	PMSM
Rear Motor Power	202 kW	220 kW	180 kW	194 kW	220 kW
Rear Motor Torque	404 Nm	440 Nm	326 Nm	340 Nm	440 Nm
Top Speed	217 km/h	217 km/h	217 km/h	217 km/h	250 km/h

MIC Tesla Model Y deliveries continue in Europe

The Tesla Model Y has already arrived in Europe. The company is importing from China, as the start of production at the German plant is facing delays. Though Tesla is sourcing from the Chinese plant, it does not offer the Standard Range variant, which it launched in China in July 2021. Take a look at the prices of the Model Y in the two main European EV markets below:

Tesla Model Y Variant\Price	Germany	Norway
Long Range AWD	EUR 56,990	NOK 534,900
Performance (AWD)	EUR 63,990	NOK 589,900

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg SOP

Production at the Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg has faced repeated delays, and it may not commence in November 2021 as most recently expected. The most recent roadblock is that the Brandenburg government has announced that it will conduct online consultation for locals who objected to the approval of Tesla’s Brandenburg factory again. All those who have raised objections will be able to reexplain their objections during the second online consultation from November 2-22, 2021. So, Tesla might not be able to commence production in November 2021 either.

Three new Tesla Model Y colors spotted

The Tesla Model Y could gain three new color options as production begins in Germany this year. Citing visitors of the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg County Fair held on October 9, 2021, InsideEVs reports that Tesla will introduce Crimson Red and Deep Blue colors for the Model Y. Tesmanian reports that the company will add a new Khaki-like color to the Model Y’s color palette. We’ll likely have to wait until the end of the year to check if these new colors make it to the configurator. If the company is testing new colors on EVs in the factory, it can release them at any time.

Tesla Model Y to get 4680 cells

Tesla plans to use batteries consisting of 4680-format cells, which are 80 mm long and have a diameter of around 46 mm, in its models in the future. Sometime in 2022, the Tesla Model Y could become the brand’s first model to feature batteries consisting of this new type of cell. Panasonic Energy is likely to be the supplier of the 4680 cells. The company unveiled its 4680-format cell on October 25, 2021, and the capacity of this cell is about five times that of the 2170-format cells Tesla currently uses.

Not just the cell format, the way Tesla uses the new cells in the Model Y’s batteries will likely also be new. Reports say that the company will integrate the 4680-format cells into a structural battery pack in the Model Y. Thus, in addition to range and efficiency, safety could improve. Musk said in a post on Twitter that while all Tesla EVs make use of aluminum casting, the new Model Y refresh “will be the most advanced with 2/3 of body cast.” So, expect the 2022 Model Y to use front and rear casting.

There is no doubt that Tesla will be working overtime to get the 4680 ready for mass production, sorting out the calendaring issue, as it offers several breakthroughs. Talking about the capabilities of the 4680-format cells at the Tesla Battery Day, Andrew Baglino, Senior Vice President, Powertrain and Energy Engineering, Tesla said:

We get five times the energy with six times the power, and enable 16% range increase just (from the change in) form factor alone

Andrew Baglino, Senior Vice President, Powertrain and Energy Engineering, Tesla

While discussing Tesla’s Q3 2021 results on October 20, 2021, Baglino said deliveries of the first model with 4680 cells could start in early 2022. He said the company is on track to complete structural, battery, crash, range, and reliability testing this quarter (Q4 2021).

Tesla is comfortable with the current level of design maturity and manufacturing readiness for the 4680 cells. Testing has gone well so far, and “the Fremont manufacturing line is on track to support,” Baglino said. However, “unknown unknowns may exist, still,” the company’s SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering cautioned.

Featured Image Source: Tesla