Tesla has quietly added a new version of the Model Y to its US configurator. This one has a single rear-mounted motor, lists for $43,990, and has a stated range of 260 miles. The company offered a single-motor standard range Model Y shortly after that car was introduced, but it was quickly withdrawn from production, presumably because Elon Musk found its range — around 240 miles — too short for his liking.
The US version has a listed top speed of 135 miles per hour and gets from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. The single-motor RWD Model Y manufactured in Shanghai does the 0-to-100 km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds after a recent upgrade. Previously, the same feat took 6.9 seconds. According to, the improvement may be due to a new motor fitted to the rear drive car. You can slice and dice the data any way you like, but the fact remains the US-spec car is a tick of the watch slower than its Chinese cousin.
Then there is the battery chemistry issue. Most EV owners have accepted the nostrum that they should only charge their cars to 80% on a regular basis in order to. 80% of 330 is 264 miles. But LFP batteries are supposedly more tolerant of being charged to 100%, so owners of the cheaper Model Y may actually have about the samerange as owners of dual-motor cars for a lot less money.
when driving on long trips, or short trips for that matter. Everyone else is still staring at their ABRP or PlugShare app trying to find a fast charger that is not broken and is not miles away from their preferred route. Range anxiety is just not a big deal for Tesla owners, because there is almost always a functioning Supercharger available when they need one.