The Tesla Model Y is one of the most highly anticipated vehicles for Australians and today, a Whirlpool user claims they were actually able to order one today, if that is true, and the order stands, this would be the first Model Y sold in Australia.
Many Tesla fans regularly visit the Tesla website to check if the ‘Stay updated’ button has changed to ‘Order now’ but as it stands tonight at 8PM on April 10th, it hasn’t. The website however has seen some unusual behaviour, not unlike the events that lead up to the Model 3 order page going live.
At 3:19PM this afternoon, user allenhori posted on the Whirlpool forum the following screenshot. They claim that this is the email received after placing the first Model Y order in Australia. He went on to confirm that the A$350 order fee was indeed debited from his bank account.
Assuming this stands and isn’t cancelled by Tesla, it would be the first Australian order for a lucky customer who timed the F5 perfectly.
Update2
It seems the first Model Y order in Australia was indeed too early and has now been cancelled. No word yet on when the actual official launch will be, but if the work on the website is being done, it can’t be far away.
Update
Tesla Warriors Australia Facebook page has just posted another screenshot of the Model Y order page that shows a Model Y in white, being ordered from WA. For those looking for the driveaway price for the Performance variant, it is $103,795.. with state-based charges for WA.
The Model Y order includes a picture of the car, black in colour with the 19″ Gemini Wheels. Below the vehicle image and the statement ‘Thank You, Your Model Y Order is Confirmed’, the details are listed as:
- Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive
- Solid Black paint
- 19″ Gemini Wheels
- All Black Premium Interior
- Five Seat Interior
- Autopilot
Currently, Tesla only ships one vehicle, the Model 3 into Australia, as we wait for the refreshed Model S and Model X to make it here. The Model Y is incredibly important in the electric vehicle landscape in Australia.
Currently, Tesla is dominating EV sales in the country with the Model 3 and the total addressable market in the mid-sized SUV space is significantly larger than the mid-size send segment.
This brings us to the topic of Model Y variants and what we’re going to see when the Model Y officially goes on sale (hopefully tomorrow). If you scroll to the bottom of the AU website now, you’ll see the specs of the Long Range AWD and Performance variants listed.
Last week, Chasing Cars reported leaked pricing for the upcoming Model Y which suggests Tesla would offer the RWD Model Y and Performance variants in Australia, with the LR AWD coming sometime in the future.
The order page confirmation from allenhori today, also points to the Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y.
So if we are to see the order page finally go live (officially) tomorrow, then how much will the Model Y cost in Australia? The answer is a fairly reasonable increment over the Model 3 pricing. As we know the Model Y for Australia will come from Shanghai China, as does the Model 3 currently.
Assuming the leaked pricing is correct, the prices would be as follows:
- Model Y Single Motor RWD: $67,990 (before on-road costs)
- Model Y Performance AWD: $98,172 (before on-road costs).
The Model Y offers all the great features people love from the Model 3, but with the higher profile, offers greater storage capacity which better suits the regular family demands for travel.
