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2019 Tesla Model Y SUV Confirmed To Share Platform With Model 3 Sedan

The year 2019 will see Tesla add a fourth model to the lineup after the S, X, and 3. Previously believed to be underpinned by an all-new, aluminum-intensive vehicle platform, the Model Y will actually be based on the Model 3.
Tesla Model Y rendering 8 photos
Photo: RM Car Design
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Inside EVs called dibs on the subject, claiming that the architecture “will be evolved somewhat and have a different sort of wiring harness than today’s cars.” The decision comes as no surprise, with the publication highlighting that the call was made “to speed the path to production and save a lot of cost.” Considering how much Tesla is spending on development, Elon Musk couldn’t persuade the board to pour more funds into a new platform.

During the 2017 Q2 earnings call, the head honcho of the Palo Alto-based automaker had what can only be described as an interesting moment. During the presentation, he reportedly commented “… if it’s called the Y…,” leading some enthusiasts to believe the Model Y won’t be referred to as such in production-ready form. Such a decision would ruin the Musk Man’s desire to give us the S3XY lineup he always wanted, but then again, the chief exec’s comment on nomenclature might have been just a joke.

Teased at the beginning of June through a mirrorless design study, the Model Y sport utility vehicle is expected to exceed the Model 3 sedan as far as demand is concerned. Bearing in mind there are 455,000 orders on the Model 3 at the present moment, the Y has some pretty big shoes to fill. In regard to pricing, the Model Y will not be as affordable as the 3, though it likely won’t go beyond the $40,000 in its most spartan specification.

There’s also the matter of Dual Motor all-wheel-drive. Being a crossover, will the Model Y come exclusively with AWD or will Tesla develop a rear-wheel-drive setup as well? Given time, the answers will come one after another.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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