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    Tesla Model Y spotted in Australia, is the long-awaited launch down under imminent?

    Australians have been patiently waiting for Tesla’s most popular vehicle, the Model Y to arrive. This afternoon a member of the Tesla Owner’s Australia group on Facebook, Michelle Price spotted a truck carrying a bunch of Tesla vehicles.

    Any photo of new Tesla vehicles in Australia right now would be big news, given the lack of supply after the Shanghai shutdowns, but this photo is particularly special.

    On the back of the truck, spotted heading down the Hume highway to Melbourne (near Chiltern), there are are at least two Tesla Model Ys, a white and grey model. Michelle says there were also red and blue cars, but it’s not clear if the two at the back were the only Model Ys.

    While the angles of the cars are different, the telltale sign of a Model Y vs a Model 3 is the lower lip in the rear bar, this is flat on the Model 3.

    While the Tesla website still doesn’t show the ‘Order Now’ button, this is another great sign that Australia is close to getting Tesla’s mid-sized SUV on our roads. It is expected that these Model Ys are off to be part of the press fleet, or are destined to be showroom cars in Melbourne.

    Update: VedaPrime has shared some further information on the Model Y’s launch, suggesting that Model Y received a ‘certification update’ on June 1.

    This vehicle segment is one of the most popular and while the Model 3 is easily the best selling electric car in the country, it is very likely that we see the international experience repeated here, and watch the Model Y take the top crown.

    The Tesla Model Y was first unveiled way back on March 16th, 2019 and while it shares many of the same components with the Model 3, has the very obvious advantages of having more space and more storage, which appeals to families.

    2 months ago, some unofficial pricing was leaked which if correct would see the Model Y single-motor RWD start at A$67,990 before on-road costs. The Model Y Performance was expected to land at A$98,172 before on-road costs, which would see the final driveway price tip just north of $100k, with the new LCT changes definitely helping.

    With the Model 3 now starting at A$63,900 (before ORC), the step up to the big brother Model Y is expected to be around $4-5k, remembering car prices have changed a lot in the past few months.

    At the top end, it looks like the gap between 3 and Y may widen, with a Model 3 Performance priced at A$88,900 (before ORC), making the MY price of A$98k, an expected 10k difference between the pair.

    Given Australia’s large land mass and long distances between towns, it doesn’t make sense to me that Tesla wouldn’t offer the Model Y Long Range, while it would consume more precious batteries, it would certainly appeal to many. As it stands today, the Tesla website lists the Long Range AWD and Performance specs for Model Y.

    While the Model Y is larger and therefore a little heavier (up to 1,995kg), it still offers incredible performance with the Acceleration of the Performance variant at 3.7s to launch from 0-100km/hr, that’s just 0.4s more than the M3P.

    In terms of range, the Model Y would be rated for 505km (est) according to the website, so in reality, you’d be travelling somewhere around 440-450kms between charges.

    Model Y offers an impressive 2,158 litres of cargo space, between the frunk and the trunk, the Model 3 offers just 649 litres.

    Keep watching that order page at https://www.tesla.com/en_au/modely

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

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