The new Tesla Model Y “Juniper” has suddenly gotten a “range bump” for its Long Range AWD model. Launched early this year, the electric 5-seater SUV was listed with a WLTP-rated range of 551km for the long range model, which is an 18km improvement compared to the pre-upgraded model. This was made possible with further design and aerodynamics improvements which resulted in an impressive drag coefficient rating of just 0.22Cd.
Just months after deliveries have started in Malaysia, the advertised range for Long Range AWD model has now been increased slightly from 551km to 600km. That’s a 49km increase or an improvement of 8.9%, making it the cheapest electric SUV that can offer 600km range on the WLTP cycle.
That’s more than the Xpeng G6 755 RWD Long Range which has a WLTP-rated range of 570km from a larger 87.5kWh NMC battery.
So what has changed? Did Tesla upgraded the battery or made software tweaks to increase its efficiency? If we compare the listings from before, the difference lies on the declaration of the range.
Previously, the new Tesla Model Y models were listed with an estimated figure as indicated by the “WLTP est” text as per screenshot below. Now, they have updated the range figures for the Long Range AWD to “600km WLTP” which seems to indicate a more confirmed and tested figure. This is similar to the Model 3 “Highland” where all figures shown as WLTP without the estimated text.
Interestingly, this range update is only applicable to the LR AWD variant as the base RWD model is still showing 466km WLTP est.
Of course, the real world EV range depends predominantly on your driving style. You’re more likely to squeeze closer to the advertised WLTP-rated figures on a single charge if you drive within the national speed limit.
The aircon usage also affects your usable range and it is often recommended to set within a comfortable range (e.g. 21-23 degrees celsius) in auto for optimal energy consumption.
The new Tesla Model Y is priced from RM195,450 for the base model with a single RWD setup, while the Long Range AWD version is priced from RM242,450. The RWD version offers up to 466km of WLTP-estimated range, and a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds, up to a top-speed of 201km/h..
Meanwhile, the LR AWD version offers 600km of WLTP-rated range and it can do 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, up to a top speed of 201km/h. For those who managed to secure their Tesla Model Y LR AWD booking early, Tesla had offered free Acceleration Boost which cuts down the 0-100 time from 4.8 seconds to 4.3 seconds, as part of the Launch Series package.
You can learn more about the new Tesla Model Y in our video below or check out our First Look post.
