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The new Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is the most efficient Model Y, with an impressive WLTP combined range of 373 miles and an energy consumption figure of 4 miles per kWh.
The Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car in 2023, with 1.22 million global sales, up by 64% from 2022. It’s the first electric car to achieve this accolade, and it’s all the more impressive because it can hardly be described as an affordable vehicle for many of the world’s car markets.
The Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive now replaces the existing Rear Wheel Drive variant, and is designed to offer maximum range at an accessible price. The single motor combined with an energy-dense battery pack, standard heat pump and low resistance tyres maximise efficiency and sets a new benchmark for cost per mile for electric SUVs.
The Tesla Model Y is built on the same platform as the Model 3 and shares around 76% of its parts with it, with similar battery and motor options, and cabin layout. So in the UK at the moment Tesla basically just has one product – with either a saloon or an SUV body style.
The Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive has an 82 kWh battery (75 kWh usable capacity) and one electric motor delivering 335 hp.
The Model Y has a hatchback rather than the boot of the Model 3, making it more practical, with 854 litres of luggage space, or 2,158 litres if you fold all the three rear seats flat. There’s a large space under the boot floor to store the charging cables, as well as a ‘frunk’ – a 117-litre storage area under the bonnet.
The cabin is extremely minimalistic, the only main feature of the dashboard being a large central touchscreen, and no physical buttons.
As stated above, the Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car in 2023. Which makes us think that whatever our opinion about the car’s driving experience, people appear to be buying it anyway.
But just in case you want to know what we think, here goes. The Model Y, especially the new Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive version, is all about efficiency. Efficiency in terms of using the least possible amount of energy to drive the furthest distance, but also in terms of building the car efficiently. Having very few parts in the cabin helps with cost-effective manufacturing, and the result is that, aside from the steering wheel, the only main feature on the dashboard is the 15-inch central touchscreen.
All controls are on this touchscreen. You’d expect the normal sort of controls to be on here, ie. satnav, media, etc. But if you want to change the position of the steering wheel, or the door mirrors, you do this by initiating it on the touchscreen, then using a scroll wheel on the steering wheel. If you want to operate the windscreen wipers, you press the button at the end of the stalk on the left of the steering column, then select the wiper speed on the screen.
Unlike the latest Model 3, at the moment you still have stalks on the steering column for indicators and for the gear selector. However, predictably, if you want to adjust the level of regenerative braking, or change the drive settings, there are no physical controls, this has to be done on the screen.
With so many controls on the screen, a lot of information is very small, including the driving range, and the volume control (you can also change the volume using a scroll wheel on the steering wheel). There are some shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen, including for climate controls.
Having all the information on the central touchscreen means that you’re always having to look away from the road to see information such as speed, satnav, etc (and the very detailed satellite mapping isn’t the most user-friendly for navigation).
So the driving experience is dominated by all controls being on the central touchscreen, and the car’s dynamics seem to be a secondary consideration – the Model Y is a car for people who want efficiency rather than a rewarding driving experience. There’s not much fun to be had in the handling department, the ride quality on poor road surfaces isn’t the most comfortable (even with relatively high profile tyres), and the steering doesn’t provide much feel. The performance of the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive version is sufficient, but you need to opt for the all-wheel drive version if you want acceleration thrills.
Teslas features the Autopilot driver assistance system, and they are acknowledged to be some of the safest cars on our roads. Teslas can receive software updates over the air.
The Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive has a WLTP combined electric driving range of 373 miles, which is impressive (based on 19-inch Dark Gemini Wheels – this reduces to 351 miles on 20-inch Induction Wheels). After a week of mixed driving, in winter, the average real-world range of our test car was 325 miles.
The Model Y’s consumption figure of 4 miles per kWh is very efficient for an SUV, and the car’s maximum ultra-rapid charging rate of 250 kW means that charging stops should be very quick.
With an EV electricity tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go at 7p per kWh, an owner charging at home driving 10,000 miles per year would spend approximately £175 per year for the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive. An equivalent petrol vehicle would cost around £1,800 in fuel each year. That equates to the EV having fuel costs that are about 10% of a petrol car.
The Model Y has access to Tesla’s excellent Supercharger network, the largest and most reliable ultra-fast charging network in the world. In the UK there are 150 Supercharger locations, with 1,600+ bays available. This is a key factor in many people choosing a Tesla.
If you’ve seen stories in the media about EV batteries degrading quickly, don’t believe them – Teslas have been proven to have excellent battery longevity.
The Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive starts at £46,990, or £349 per month.
Exterior paint options are Quicksilver, Midnight Cherry Red, Solid Black, Pearl White and Deep Blue Metallic.
There’s also the Tesla Model Y Long Range Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive and the Model Y Performance.
A seven-seat Model Y is also here soon.
In case you missed it, the Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car in 2023. That means that 1.22 million people were sufficiently happy with the car to buy or lease one. Presumably they were comfortable with all car controls being on the central screen, and with the driving experience being efficiency-focused rather than dynamics-focused. The Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive takes the car’s efficiency to the next level, with a consumption figure of 4 miles per kWh, and an impressive WLTP combined range of 373 miles. And remember another key selling point: the excellent Tesla Supercharger network, which means that charging on long journeys will be easy and very fast. The Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 9 out of 10.
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