Tesla has made big waves again but with its Model Y in a new trim for the United States (U.S.) market: Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) Model Y. The new Model Y trim is a departure from the company’s previous RWD model, which came cheaper but with less range. 

The Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) trim comes with an estimated range of 320 miles on a single charge at a starting price of $44,990. The previous RWD trim only provided an estimated range of 260 miles, which makes the new Long Range RWD’s range an improvement. Although, the previous RWD trim came $2,000 cheaper. Yet, is it notable that the new trim remains eligible for the federal EV tax credit of $7,500, which cuts down the price to $37,490.

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk on his X account, expressed the revelation and reasoning of how the new Model Y Long Range RWD trim was able to gain more estimated range stating, “The “260 mile” range Model Y’s built over the past several months actually have more range that can be unlocked for $1500 to $2000 (gains 40 to 60 miles of range), depending on which battery cells you have.”

When Musk was questioned by an X user on his statement of adding a higher price to the new trim, he responded by stating, “We have to pay the bills somehow.”

The launch of the new Model Y Long Range RWD trim is followed by Tesla’s recent launch of its Model 3 Performance trim, which delivered more power and acceleration compared to its predecessors. The company is facing several controversies with Musk’s firing of around 500 employees on the company’s Supercharger team, the new launch of the Model Y Long Range RWD trim could be an attempt to sway the crowd back to his favor. 

As of now, the new Model Y Long Range RWD trim is launched in the U.S., but not available for the rest of North America including Canada or Mexico. But, it is worth noting that it is available in select European countries, suggesting a global rollout strategy. As Tesla continues to diversify its EV offerings, the impact of the Model Y Long Range RWD trim on the EV market will be watched by the EV industry. 

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