Tesla Unveils RWD Model Y For European Market: Longer Range, Lower Cost

EV giant Tesla TSLA has introduced a rear-wheel drive (RWD) version of the Model Y Long Range in several countries across Europe.

What Happened: Tesla previously offered only an all-wheel drive (AWD) version of the Model Y Long Range.

The RWD version of the Long Range is priced lower than the all-wheel drive while promising even more range. The rear wheel drive vehicles are available in Austria, Germany, Spain, and Italy, among other European countries.

The newly introduced vehicle has a range of 600 km when equipped with 19-inch Gemini wheels and a total speed of 217 km/h. The all-wheel drive variant, however, has only a range of 533 km.

However, while the rear-wheel drive is more fuel-efficient, the all-wheel drive is faster.

The company continues to offer only AWD Model Y long-range variants in its primary markets of the U.S. and China.

Why It Matters: The Tesla Model Y is the company’s best-selling vehicle. The company delivered over 1.2 million units of the SUV worldwide last year, company CEO Elon Musk said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in January, despite its higher price as compared to other top-selling vehicle models like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla.

The base version of the Model Y, the Model Y RWD, starts at 44,990 euros in Germany, placing it at an even lower price point than even the Toyota Prius PHEV.

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