Tesla Launches Its Cheapest Ever Model Y In The U.S.

Need an electric SUV that doesn’t break the bank? This is your chance.

New Tesla Model Y looks the same, but it’s cheaper, and possibly comes with different batteries. Credit: Tesla

Tesla is selling a new variant of the Model Y in the U.S., and it’s a bargain.

The new, rear-wheel drive Model Y showed up on Tesla’s site overnight, replacing the all-wheel drive version that was discontinued in September. It has a 260 mile range, a top speed of 135 mph, and goes from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds.

The starting price for the RWD Model Y is $43,990, which is $3,750 less than the AWD variant that recently went away. It also qualifies for the $7,500 Federal EV Tax Credit, which brings the price down to $36,490.

As Teslarati noticed, the new Model Y is available in Mexico and Canada as well.

Unfortunately, this is not the slightly updated Model Y that showed up in China yesterday. That one has new, black wheels and a LED strip inside, while the new, RWD Model Y that went on sale in the U.S. has no observable changes compared to earlier versions.

There might be one important change inside (besides having one motor less than the AWD variant), however. The new Model Y could be using Tesla’s new Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) batteries. These have lower energy density than the standard, Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NBC) cells, but come with the advantage of better durability. In practice, this would means that owners wouldn’t have to worry about charging their car to 100 percent; the LFP batteries don’t mind and won’t degrade because of that.

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He’s got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.

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