Stripping cars to lower the asking price is a decades-old practice. Tesla’s new Model Y Standard trims a lot of features to bring the sticker price down to $41,630, $5,000 less than the Premium. You’ll lose ventilated front seats, a power-adjustable steering wheel, heated rear seats, and the 8-inch rear passenger display.
The entry-level model also does without the light bars, FM/AM radio, and perforated vegan leather surfaces. It comes with a lower-profile battery, a weaker rear motor, and smaller wheels. But what about the glass ceiling? Well, this is where things get weird. The Model Y Standard still has the panoramic glass roof like the more expensive versions, but you can’t see it from the inside.
That’s because Tesla covered it with headlines. confused? So are we. Obviously doing this is cheaper than re-engineering the Model Y for a steel roof. Avoiding the need to design and install such a chassis mainboard makes sense, at least up to a certain point. both of them Edmunds and Car and driverwho had early access to the Standard Model, confirmed that the glass panel was still there; It is hidden behind the fabric only.
What’s confusing is that adding a component like a headliner usually results in increased production costs. Although I’m not an engineer, leaving the roof as is seems more cost effective. Especially since the 3 Standard keeps its glass roof exposed. Apparently not.
Photo by: Tesla
according to Edmundsone Tesla engineer admitted that it would have actually been cheaper to cover the glass roof with a headliner. Car and driver Reports also indicate that Tesla saved money this way rather than switching to metal. Motor direction He confirms that the glass is still there, but not the transparent part.
Engine1 It has arrived Tesla to comment and we will update this story if we receive a response. Meanwhile, one plausible explanation is that Tesla wants to encourage buyers to opt for the more expensive Premium model. Another possibility is that it is cheaper to produce a headliner without a window opening. Again, creating one type of component in larger quantities usually results in economies of scale.
Maybe we’re missing something (Different glass?), but this still seems like a strange move, even for Tesla. Whatever the case, we wouldn’t be surprised if Model Y Standard owners end up tearing up the headliner. I know I’ll be tempted. You can watch it for a brief moment at the 0:26 mark in the official video below.
