The Tesla Model Y electric crossover is getting a new entry-level variant. This week Tesla added the rear-wheel drive Model Y Standard Range variant to its online configurator.
The Standard Range has a $43,190 base price (including a mandatory $1,200 destination charge), compared to $51,190 for the Long Range variant and $61,190 for the Performance—both of which feature dual-motor all-wheel drive.
Range is estimated at 244 miles, a big step down from the all-wheel drive variants, both of which boast more than 300 miles of EPA-estimated range.
Tesla also quoted zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of 135 mph. The Standard Range also gets the same 3,500-pound tow rating as other Model Y variants, when equipped with the optional ($1,000) hitch.
A three-row, seven-seat configuration is also available for an extra $3,000. The Standard Range gets 19-inch "Gemini" wheels as standard equipment, but buyers can get 20-inch "Induction" wheels for $2,000 more.
Tesla Model Y Standard Range
As with other Tesla electric cars, basic Autopilot is standard, while the more advanced (and misleadingly-named) Full Self-Driving system is a $10,000 option.
In our first drive of the Model Y, we were impressed by the crossover's acceleration and how it sacrificed little of the related Model 3 sedan's sporty handling. That earned the Model Y a Green Car Reports' Best Car To Buy 2021 finalist slot. We'll have to see how the lower-priced Standard Range version measures up.
Tesla already lowered the price of the Model Y Long Range by $3,000 this summer, and the Performance by $1,000. Other models also got price reductions throughout the year.
But the Standard Range variant will bring Model Y pricing even closer to the similarly-sized Ford Mustang Mach-E, which starts at $43,995 with rear-wheel drive and the smaller Standard Range battery pack, with an EPA-estimated 230 miles of range. An optional Extended Range battery bumps the base price up to $53,100, but increases range to 300 miles with rear-wheel drive.
Meanwhile, Model Y pricing is still well above the Volkswagen ID.4, which is aiming not at Tesla, but at mass-market gasoline crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
