Overnight, Tesla made a significant change by removing its Texas-built, entry-level Model Y variant from its website. This move effectively increases the base price of a new Model Y from $49,130 to a minimum of $52,130. Speculation suggests that this shift may be part of a broader strategy to accelerate Cybertruck production in the near future.
First spotted by Teslarati, this small shift in pricing is unlikely to upset many buyers, as the new base model of the Model Y is the Long Range version. It has an EPA-estimated range of 330 miles (531 km) compared to the old base model which could go at most 279 miles (449 km). The Long Range also offers just a bit more performance while still qualifying for a $7,500 tax credit.
As Tesla doesn’t have a PR team here in the USA, there’s no word on exactly why the Model Y lineup changed. It’s clear from sales records that the Model Y is a wildly popular car. In fact, it was second only to the Ford F-150 in terms of registrations during the first part of 2023.
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Earlier this year, Tesla confirmed that it was building 5,000 Model Y units each week at Giga Texas. Scaling down the Model Y’s production means that a bunch of assets might now be free for other projects. It’s plausible that Tesla is planning to utilize those assets to enable Cybertruck production.
It’s no secret that Giga Texas is going to be where Cybertruck will be manufactured. In addition to that, we know that the plant produces the 4680 cells that were formerly used in the Model Y AWD and the updated ones that’ll go into Cybertruck. All of that appears to suggest that this is just one more sign that Tesla might actually get a production-ready Cybertruck out the door before the end of the year.