These days it seems like crossovers and SUVs are what drivers crave in America. This vehicle segment has skyrocketed in the recent years when it comes to popularity. And that is no surprise since it successfully combines features of an SUV, car and wagon. Of course, we had to think about those drivers who are ‘eco-friendly’ and only one question came to our mind – When are we going to see a crossover EV?
Have no fear, Elon Musk is here! CEO of Tesla already confirmed that the company is working on a vehicle that fits our description. Judging by sale numbers of the Model 3 we won’t have to wait much on the Tesla Model Y – the crossover we all want. We still don’t know whether the Model 3 and the Model Y will have the same platform, but we believe that these two will share a lot of components.
On the other hand, Tesla will have to face many fierce rivals in the field of crossover EVs. It is estimated that there will be at least three other automakers interested in manufacturing pure electric crossovers that would sell for around $40,000 and would offer somewhere about 250 miles of driving range on a single charge. But we are sure that Musk won’t disappoint.
As we’ve said more and more mainstream automakers see the potential in this kind of crossovers and Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Cars of North America claimed that his company will produce a crossover ‘as its first all-electric car.’ According to Lex, the vehicle will be built in China, and it is coming in 2019. Ford And Volkswagen are also expected to make a debut in this field launching an electric crossover at a similar price and with a comparable range in 2024. With so many players in the game, we are in for a spectacle. And we believe that this is good since the potential customers will only benefit from the situation. Buyers will have a variety of electric crossovers to pick from, and we know that more competitors always means a better price.
FIRST IN LINE TO MEET THE DEMAND
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk is ‘the first player’ of this ‘electric’ game. During the Q2 2017 earnings call in June, he revealed few teaser images of the Model Y, and he himself acknowledged the quick increase of popularity of the crossovers. He claimed that the production target for the Model Y is ‘late 2019 to 2024’. Having known Tesla for so many years, we believe that Musk won’t fail us on this promise.
However we have stumbled upon a few contradictions, we don’t know for sure whether the Model Y is going to be built on the Model 3’s platform and we don’t know whether it’ll have the falcon doors that were featured on the Model X. The company also kept quiet on their product strategy so we don’t know anything about the production and whether it would be high-volume and quick. Many analysts believe that drivers want the Model Y more than they had wanted the Model 3. The demand is definitely higher, and because of that, the challenge is also bigger. And we all know that Tesla has a lot on their plate with the delivering cars to millions of people with reservations for the Model 3.
Elon also shared some thoughts on his experience with the Model X full-size SUV. He stated that the vehicle was over-engineered and because of that complexity the company had to delay its release. He now claims that the company favors a simpler approach. In the tech industry this approach is called ‘minimally viable product’ and there we have a good first product released which is then followed with a product that has upgraded and improved features. Something like an updated app, an enhanced product that is worked on month in month out.
Musk’s company has high hopes for the Model Y aiming to produce and sell as many as 1 million vehicles per year by 2024. This is an ambitious goal, but we got used to that when it comes to Tesla. Musk claimed that the Model Y is a car ‘where we expect to see demand in the 500,000 to 1,000,000 unit per year level.’ He emphasized how it is ‘the obvious priority’ after the Model 3.
