Tesla updated its website in the UK on Friday (UK time) and is now allowing customers to order the Model Y electric crossover.
UK drivers can now order either of two premium variants, priced at £54,990 for the Long Range dual-motor Model Y, and £64,990 for the Performance variant.
A note on price: although the above pricing translates to $A101,994 and $A120,542 respectively, we don’t expect this to translate to Australian pricing – the Model 3 in the UK is equally priced much higher in the UK than in Australia (to the tune of $A10,000; see our breakdown on Model Y pricing here).
UK pricing includes VAT, as well as £935 delivery fee and first registration fee of £55. Also, drivers in the UK who are eligible for exemption from the London congestion charge get significant savings in the form of a £15 per day saving, which Tesla appears to count over 600 days equating to a £9,000 saving.
Unfortunately, the Standard Range Model Y – which is available in Hong Kong from $HK329,800 ($A57,152 at today’s rates) – is not available in the UK, perhaps dousing hopes that it will be made available when it goes on sale in Australia.
Neither is the seven-seat option – something that has previously been suggested for this market also.
The change is significant for Australia as it signals Tesla is readying to expand into more right-hand markets, with the first of these being Hong Kong where the Model Y was made available to order in July.
However, although UK drivers can now order the Model Y, it could still be a long wait for Australians after the Californian EV maker’s newest electric offering.
Although the Model Y was given the all-clear by Australian regulators in September, word has it that it will not be made available now in Australia until 2022.
That’s despite the fact there are actually three on the ground in Australia, as The Driven reported in August.
The silver lining however is that it is understood that those three vehicles included a Standard Range Model Y – which means even if Tesla does not offer it to begin with, when it does go on sale locally, it probably will eventually.
Pricing estimates for the Model Y in Australia based on Hong Kong pricing put the Long Range at around the $A83,000 mark, and the Performance variant at around the low $94,000s mark.
The Standard Range Model Y has a 455-kilometre driving range rating (WLTP), a 5.6-second 0-100km/h acceleration time, and 19-inch Gemini wheels as standard or optional 20-inch Induction wheels.
The Long Range will feature a driving range of 542 kilometres (WLTP), standard 20-inch Induction wheels as standard and sprints from a standing start to 100 kilometres per hour in 5 seconds.
The Long Range at the Hong Kong premiere is equipped with new Michelin Sport EV tyres, according to images published on the Australian Model 3 & Y Facebook page.
The Performance Model Y has a range of up to 528 kilometres (WLTP), accelerates to 100 kilometres per hour in 3.7 seconds, and comes standard with 21-inch Überturbine wheels, lowered suspension and performance brakes.
The Tesla website states that the estimated delivery date for the Model Y in the UK is early 2022.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.