Are we going to see the Tesla Model Y SUV sooner because of the Model 3 platform? According to Elon Musk, the new SUV will carry over much of the engineering from the Model 3 which has just begun production.
The next vehicle in line for production at Tesla is the Model Y small SUV. The vehicle will be heavily based on the Model 3 platform according to CEO Musk. This statement rebukes Musk’s previous statements where he claimed how the Model Y would utilize a whole new platform.
Musk revealed this during Tesla’s second quarter earnings call. ‘The Model Y will be using substantial carry over from Model 3, which means it will come to market much faster.’
Although this may come as a surprise we had a chance to see this strategy once before. Tesla based their Model X SUV chassis on the chassis of the Model S sedan. What does that mean exactly? Well, we might see many of the suspension components and other components made for the Model 3 on the Model Y. That will speed up both the development and the manufacturing process. And on top of that, the Model Y will most likely be of similar size just like the Model 3 however we know for sure that it will be a tad bit taller. Another thing similar to the Model 3 is the battery configuration. The Tesla Model Y will most certainly use similar battery configurations like the Model 3.
‘Biggest product segment in the world’ is how Musk dubbed the importance of the SUV market and that can only reflect a current state of things in the market when it comes to sales of cars such as Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape. All these fall into the small SUV segment and they all belong to the top 10 US car sales list. The Model Y is already a huge potential in an area that Tesla is ready to exploit.
By simplifying the Model Y production (because of the Model 3 basis) Tesla will most certainly take advantage of the current sales trend. On the other hand, Musk kept quiet about the new timeline for production of the Model Y during the call. If we were to look back at his previous statements the year 2024 ‘would be a reasonable goal’.
We are also in store for three new factory locations announcements according to Musk and they will be revealed by the end of the year. This comes as no surprise because the company will need more battery manufacturing and Musk had already promised a new factory for Tesla Model Y production only.
