Will the upcoming Tesla Model Y crossover be built in Fremont, California, alongside the related Model 3 sedan?
A CNBC report Wednesday, citing “several current and former employees,” says that Tesla is indeed opting for that—to make the Model Y at its Bay Area assembly plant. It follows comments made by CEO Elon Musk in Tesla’s April 24 call with investors, in which he discussed a plan that involved repurposing some current warehousing space and building the Model Y there too, “with minimal disruption.”
The move, if true, represents a logistical change for Tesla. Musk had previously said the facility was too packed—and unviable for the addition of a fourth model to the plant that already makes Model S, Model X, and Model 3. And in its Q4 2018 financial letter the automaker had said that Model Y volume production would start by the end of 2020, “most likely at Gigafactory 1.”
Tesla factory, Fremont, California
Tesla has not yet confirmed the Model Y’s production location publicly. However in that April call Musk said that the company expected to make a final decision on it very soon, and provided some reasons the automaker might have been leaning toward Fremont over Nevada.
The CNBC report, citing the employee sources, also claimed that Tesla was planning a long-anticipated refresh of the Model S sedan for September. That would bring more extensive changes like a 400-mile range and a redesigned cabin and interface.
That would follow up on some upgrades announced last month for the Model X crossover and the Model S sedan—including the addition of fully adaptive damping to the air suspension, plus updated power systems (including a new permanent-magnet motor in front) to support even more range in the Long Range versions, of up to 370 miles for the Model S and 325 miles for the Model X.
At the time of publication, Tesla hadn’t yet responded to a query from Green Car Reports.
