Tesla launches lower cost, longer range Model Y thanks to new battery

Tesla has launched a new, cheaper and more efficient Model Y Long Range variant in multiple countries, delivering 657 km of WLTP range, thanks to a new battery.

On Tesla’s website, the new Standard Long Range model is available in a few markets in Europe, hinting at a new bigger battery delivering more range than the Long Range variant sold in Australia, which has 600 km of range.

The range gain has also been thanks to improved efficiency of 12.7 kWh/100km which is down from 13.9 kWh/100km of the RWD model sold in Australia.

Tesla also claims massive boot space of 2,118 litres with the seats down, making it the most spacious SUV in its class.

The new model also keeps the same acceleration and top speed of 7.2 seconds and 201 km/h, respectively as the cheapest Model Y, the base standard variant.

Pricing-wise, the Standard Long Range variant still falls under the Premium Model Y RWD, which is the car currently available in Australia as the Model Y RWD.

Deliveries of this variant start in the coming weeks with configurator in Germany showing a February delivery date for new orders.

The news of this car comes only days after this model’s specs were leaked as part of European regulatory framework, thanks to a well-known expert eivissacopter on X.

According to the leaked specs, the new model has a 74 kWh battery pack, although chemistry is unknown. The pack itself is 31 kg lighter than Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteyr pack being used in current Model Ys.

In October, Tesla unveiled its new “affordable” versions of its Model Y and Model 3 electric car in the US, with price reductions of up to 11% off the base price. 

Then, within a couple of days of that reveal, the company swiftly launched the Model Y version, known as the Model Y Standard, in multiple left-hand-drive European countries, revealing pricing and specs.

In December, Tesla launched its most affordable Model Y, the Standard variant, in its first right-hand-drive market, the UK, with a 14% drop in price over the previous base RWD model, hinting at a possible Australian arrival in 2026.

This Standard model is available with 18-inch wheels with aerocovers on them. Styling for both models is similar to the current lineup, although the Model Y Standard has a more Model 3-like front end.

A key change is that the glass roof is closed off on the inside with a fabric, in line with the rest of the interior. The base Model Y also cuts costs by offering textile materials for seating, manual adjustments, a  7-speaker audio system, and no rear screen.

Given Tesla’s most efficient Model Y’s arrival into the European market, it’s likely that right-hand-drive production will also be on the cards. 

Would it make it to Australia? Time will tell, but for now, Tesla appears to continue to surprise the market with creative variations of the world’s best-selling car, three years in a row.