Tesla said it would not sell a Model Y Standard Range in the US because its range would not fit the company’s standards for that. Curiously, the company is now offering a Model Y Standard Range in Hong Kong with 455 kilometers (283 miles) of range. Deliveries would start in September. That makes us wonder about multiple rumors, including one that the Model Y made in China would get LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries.
CNEVPost published in June that the deal Tesla made with CATL to extend their LFP contract up to 2025 would include sourcing these cells to the Model Y. Deliveries for the electric crossover with these batteries would start in July.
When we check Tesla’s website about the Model Y Standard Range for Hong Kong, the company says that deliveries will start in September. The estimated range for the vehicle is higher than that for the Model 3 Standard Range Plus, which would achieve 448 km (278 mi). The price difference is also quite significant. Curiously, the Model Y Standard Range does not appear on Tesla's Chinese page: the only options there are the Long Range and the Performance versions.
Photo: Tesla
While the Model 3 Standard Range Plus costs HK$ 299,800 ($38,594 at the current exchange rate), the Model Y Standard Range is priced at HK$ 329,800 ($42,456). That’s a 10% increase compared to the Model 3 SR+ value.
The Model Y Long Range costs HK$ 377,800 in Hong Kong, while the Model 3 Long Range has a HK$ 355,000 price tag, a difference of 6.4% also with the Model 3 LR cost in mind.
Although the Model Y Standard Range for Hong Kong could confirm the LFP rumors, the price and range differences suggest that Model Y Standard Range may have 2170 cells. However, if that is the case, Tesla could also offer this derivative in the US.
Another feasible explanation for the disparities is that Tesla developed a larger LFP battery pack for the Model Y. We’ll probably only be sure about what this Model Y Standard Range offers when deliveries begin in September.
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