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How Much Does the New Tesla Model Y SR AWD Cost and Why It's Not Available to Buy Yet

We’ve all enjoyed the Giga Texas Cyber Truck last week, especially as Tesla introduced the new Model Y built with a structural battery pack and 4680 cells. We were curious to see the new version of the Model Y in Tesla’s Design Studio, but the car is not yet available to order. Unless you are a Tesla employee, apparently.
Tesla Model Y SR AWD is built at Giga Texas 13 photos
Photo: Tesla
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When Tesla announced that it will build the Model Y with 4680 cells and a structural battery, some people freaked out as this meant offering two different versions of the same vehicle on the same market. Indeed, the Model Y made in Fremont does not feature the new goodies, so it must be confusing. Unless Tesla changes things fundamentally.

And it appears to be doing so, as the model built in Austin will be the Model Y Standard Range AWD, while Fremont will take care of the other variants. In time, as production in Austin ramps up, Giga Texas will be able to assimilate more variants, switching all to the new technologies. It happened the same with the vehicles produced at Giga Berlin, which are different from those imported from China and sold in the same market.

We spotted the Model Y SR AWD first on the EPA website before there was any information about it. We then got the chance to see its internals at Giga Texas Cyber Rodeo, but there are still a lot of things we don’t know about the new variant that’s being built in Austin. Fortunately, the friends at Electrek learned about an internal communications email detailing the new vehicle’s characteristics and even price.

Tesla never listed the new trim for sale on its website, but according to the internal email the Model Y SR AWD is sold exclusively to Tesla employees for now. Nevertheless, it should become available to order pretty soon, probably in a couple of weeks. According to the email, the new model is priced at $59,990, which is $3,000 less than the Long Range version available now.

The Model Y SR AWD has a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.0 seconds, which also compares favorably to the 4.8 seconds of the LR variant. There are other new features as well, besides the structural battery pack. These include a parcel shelf like the one we've seen on the German-made Model Y and a magnetic center console armrest.

Around 20 vehicles were delivered to employees at the event last week but as the production pace will increase, the new variant will become more visible. Starting Austin production with the Standard Range trim makes sense as this version has a smaller battery pack, allowing Tesla to build more vehicles with fewer cells. Note that the 4680-cell production is still in its infancy, so the cell supply is still a concern for Giga Texas.
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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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