Tesla delays launch of lower cost Model Y
According to Reuters, several insiders have confirmed the alleged postponement. The production start date of the first half of 2025, which was previously targeted, will therefore not be achievable. However, it is not yet clear exactly how long the start of production will be delayed. Some sources are talking about the third quarter, while others are referring to the beginning of next year.
Reuters does not give any reasons for the delay in the article, so there is neither insider information nor statements made by Tesla. Tesla will publish its financial figures for the first quarter on Tuesday evening, and management may comment on the reports in the subsequent investor call. It had already been leaked that the production of the Cybercab in Giga Texas and the Semi in Nevada would be affected by the US tariffs on cars and car components due to imported parts from China and would therefore be delayed.
However, once production of the E41 is up and running, it will probably be scaled up quite quickly: Two of the people are also said to have stated that Tesla is aiming to produce 250,000 of the more affordable Model Y in the USA in 2026 – although whether this will be in Giga Texas or Fremont, California, is not specified. According to earlier reports, the new vehicle will also be produced in China and Europe at a later date, but there are no exact dates for this yet.
Although the E41 will be based on the Model Y, it will be slightly smaller and have 20 per cent lower production costs than the revised Model Y Juniper. You can read our first driving impressions of the facelift model here. According to earlier information, the slimmed-down E41 will not have any significant changes to the battery, drive and chassis. The differences are therefore likely to be in the bodywork and some comfort features.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly held out the prospect of lower-priced models. It has been apparent for some time that this will not be a stand-alone Tesla compact car, which has already been named Model 2 or Model Q – Tesla is said to have discontinued such a model in favour of the Cybercab at Elon Musk’s insistence. Instead, Tesla wants to offer more affordable vehicles with slimmed-down versions of the Model Y and, according to Reuters, later also the Model 3. Investors are hoping that the cheaper Teslas will enable the electric car manufacturer to attract new customer groups and increase its recently declining sales.
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