Tesla Is Unveiling Its All-Electric Crossover, the Model Y, on March 14

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Elon Musk has announced that the newest member of the Tesla family, the Model Y, will be revealed on March 14 at the company’s LA design studio. This is reportedly an all-electric crossover, serving as a “higher and bigger version of the Model 3” with a hatchback. “Model Y, being an SUV, is about 10% bigger than Model 3, so will cost about 10% more & have slightly less range for same battery.”

Musk said that it will look a lot like Model 3 and it will not have Falcon Wing doors – something that he previously wanted with Model Y. Tesla has been debating making on a new platform or using the Model 3 platform over the past few years and it’s unclear where they have landed on the issue. Detailed specs and pricing information will be announced at the event next week and working Model Y prototypes will be available for test rides.
 
Why on earth does Musk insist on silly, unnecessarily complex things like gull-wing doors? He has plenty of good ideas, but he needs someone with veto power whenever he is about to do something dumb, Good for whoever at Tesla got that quashed for the Model Y. They add cost and they create more problems than they solve (weight, complexity, cost, keeping water out of the car). It's one thing to have things like that on a Lambo; that car is all about screaming for attention and isn't meant to be in any way practical. Why the hell would you want it on a family hauling vehicle?
 
MarkVI said:
Why on earth does Musk insist on silly, unnecessarily complex things like gull-wing doors? He has plenty of good ideas, but he needs someone with veto power whenever he is about to do something dumb, Good for whoever at Tesla got that quashed for the Model Y. They add cost and they create more problems than they solve (weight, complexity, cost, keeping water out of the car). It's one thing to have things like that on a Lambo; that car is all about screaming for attention and isn't meant to be in any way practical. Why the hell would you want it on a family hauling vehicle?
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the only practical purpose i have seen is it can be fully extended in far smaller width then a traditional door. Does this add value in the sense of cost / benifit. I dont believe so
 
nimer said:
the only practical purpose i have seen is it can be fully extended in far smaller width then a traditional door. Does this add value in the sense of cost / benifit. I dont believe so
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Sure, but a sliding door is even better for that purpose and doesn't come with nearly the list of drawbacks. Look, a minivan is hardly my cup of tea, but even I understand why pretty much all of them have sliding doors.
 
Cool but until the price comes down another 10-15k for the AWD version, no.

And I don’t mind used, I prefer used let someone else take the big initial hit, but even used they’re still too expensive.
 
MarkVI said:
Why on earth does Musk insist on silly, unnecessarily complex things like gull-wing doors? He has plenty of good ideas, but he needs someone with veto power whenever he is about to do something dumb, Good for whoever at Tesla got that quashed for the Model Y. They add cost and they create more problems than they solve (weight, complexity, cost, keeping water out of the car). It's one thing to have things like that on a Lambo; that car is all about screaming for attention and isn't meant to be in any way practical. Why the hell would you want it on a family hauling vehicle?
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After my back surgery. a tesla model x gullwing was the least painful and most accommodating door I could find, if you couldn't bend without extreme pain ( like myself) or happen to be elderly or otherwise less mobile then a gullwing door is a breath of fresh air. I'd suggest giving it a try before shitting all over it.

What makes it differ from a sliding door is the extra height you get in the top, It is vastly easier to get in and out of than a sliding minivan when you've two titanium rods in your spine.
 
Wouldn't mind picking up another "cheap" Tesla. Will probably put my deposit down and wait.
 
If I hadn't already bought a 3 I'd put my money down. Then again the resale of 3s is very high so I may just put some money down and decide when it's time to order
 
MarkVI said:
Why on earth does Musk insist on silly, unnecessarily complex things like gull-wing doors? He has plenty of good ideas, but he needs someone with veto power whenever he is about to do something dumb, Good for whoever at Tesla got that quashed for the Model Y. They add cost and they create more problems than they solve (weight, complexity, cost, keeping water out of the car). It's one thing to have things like that on a Lambo; that car is all about screaming for attention and isn't meant to be in any way practical. Why the hell would you want it on a family hauling vehicle?
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The big thing I think you're missing from your list is the safety aspect of the gull-wing/vertical doors compared to a traditional car door. It takes a lot less impact force on the door area (or even a hard front impact) to make them inoperable, and in the event of a roll-over, your only option will be your window.
 
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NuclearLemons said:
After my back surgery. a tesla model x gullwing was the least painful and most accommodating door I could find, if you couldn't bend without extreme pain ( like myself) or happen to be elderly or otherwise less mobile then a gullwing door is a breath of fresh air. I'd suggest giving it a try before shitting all over it.

What makes it differ from a sliding door is the extra height you get in the top, It is vastly easier to get in and out of than a sliding minivan when you've two titanium rods in your spine.
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You have all of my sympathy for your back problems, but I think you've made my point for me. If the only use case is "it's easier for passengers (not the driver) to get in and out after back surgery or if they're old and have a bad back" I feel safe calling the advantages pretty limited.

I never said that gull wings only had downsides, it's just that the list of cons far outweighs the pros. How many times have you had a regular car door fail on you? Do you even know anyone that has had an issue? The technology is so simple and it just works. Gull wings (outside the original Mercedes they were used on) are a solution in search of a problem.

Besides, my larger point is that for all the smart ideas Musk has, his silly fetish with weird doors needs to be curtailed. Can we at least agree that the retracting door handles on the Model S offer no meaningful utility and introduce a host of possible complications? And no, there is no way they reduce drag enough on a 5000lb car enough to matter. If you google Model S door handle the first autocomplete suggestion is "Model S door handle fix."
 
MarkVI said:
You have all of my sympathy for your back problems, but I think you've made my point for me. If the only use case is "it's easier for passengers (not the driver) to get in and out after back surgery or if they're old and have a bad back" I feel safe calling the advantages pretty limited.

I never said that gull wings only had downsides, it's just that the list of cons far outweighs the pros. How many times have you had a regular car door fail on you? Do you even know anyone that has had an issue? The technology is so simple and it just works. Gull wings (outside the original Mercedes they were used on) are a solution in search of a problem.

Besides, my larger point is that for all the smart ideas Musk has, his silly fetish with weird doors needs to be curtailed. Can we at least agree that the retracting door handles on the Model S offer no meaningful utility and introduce a host of possible complications? And no, there is no way they reduce drag enough on a 5000lb car enough to matter. If you google Model S door handle the first autocomplete suggestion is "Model S door handle fix."
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I don't know... As AlphaQup pointed out the safety rating is a major plus. These cars have the best of the best safety ratings out there and the side impact has a lot to do with that. Is it because of the gullwing doors for sure? I'm not certain but it definitely isn't hurting.
 
NuclearLemons said:
After my back surgery. a tesla model x gullwing was the least painful and most accommodating door I could find, if you couldn't bend without extreme pain ( like myself) or happen to be elderly or otherwise less mobile then a gullwing door is a breath of fresh air. I'd suggest giving it a try before shitting all over it.

What makes it differ from a sliding door is the extra height you get in the top, It is vastly easier to get in and out of than a sliding minivan when you've two titanium rods in your spine.
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If the only justification anyone can come up with for the falcon wing doors is that they're great for people nearly immobilized by spinal surgery then that's a bigger condemnation of them than anything anyone else has said.
 
Rahh said:
I don't know... As AlphaQup pointed out the safety rating is a major plus. These cars have the best of the best safety ratings out there and the side impact has a lot to do with that. Is it because of the gullwing doors for sure? I'm not certain but it definitely isn't hurting.
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I think you're confusing overall safety (ratings) with accessibility in the event of a crash. Tesla's do have GREAT safety ratings overall. This specific model though I see having these issues:

If you vehicle is involved in a crash and rolls over onto it's roof, you're trapped inside and cannot get out. It takes less force from a side impact to crumple the space needed for the gull-wing door to operate compared to a traditional door, so once again, you might be trapped inside. There's a reason no track-prepped cars (vintage racing aside) use these kinds of doors anymore, and the ones that do (see current day factory racing, Mercedes especially on the SLS) weld the doors shut and cage the door area off to prevent injury during side-impact. They're also running CF everything/a tube chassis so some bracing is required for safety, but I digress.

Most safety-related innovations start on the track and make their way to the consumer-side if PROVEN to be effective, and these door types were left behind for a reason. Unsafe in certain circumstances where a traditional door would be a better and safer option.

In order to make them safe(r), you have to make them heavy or use more expensive materials (see the SLS's self-ejecting doors, pretty wild). and they are more complex design then that a traditional hinge as well, so up go the R&D costs. They are also notorious for being hard to fully seal, so water/snow get in them easier, not good for cold climates.

The design is just not safe, nor cost effective.

I will give the door type one thing though, they sure do look freaking cool :D
 
MarkVI said:
Why on earth does Musk insist on silly, unnecessarily complex things like gull-wing doors? He has plenty of good ideas, but he needs someone with veto power whenever he is about to do something dumb, Good for whoever at Tesla got that quashed for the Model Y. They add cost and they create more problems than they solve (weight, complexity, cost, keeping water out of the car). It's one thing to have things like that on a Lambo; that car is all about screaming for attention and isn't meant to be in any way practical. Why the hell would you want it on a family hauling vehicle?
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You an investor or something?
I like them, can't afford them, but i like them.
 
I think Musk is on the right track as he has realized just how important having a diverse product line-up will be to the success of Tesla. I drive a diesel truck but have always been fascinated with Tesla. I even put a deposit down on a M3 until I found out that I would be working in a remote part of Eastern KY. Interestingly, there are 2 Model 3's in our parking lot. To become viable, he needs something that will appeal to the market no matter where the market goes. Right now, it is crossovers and SUV's that are the sweet spot. While one can argue that he needs to get the bugs worked out of current M3 production first, he does not have the luxury of time when all of the other competitors are kicking their EV programs into high gear. To make things worse, new companies are entering in to this market. Musk has been known to pull miracles, but I wonder what he will be able to do when all of these luxury automakers have competitive EV offerings of their own.
 
amdgamer said:
....Musk has been known to pull miracles, but I wonder what he will be able to do when all of these luxury automakers have competitive EV offerings of their own.
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I don't think Tesla can be dethroned as the best EV maker out there. Their supercharging network alone gives them an advantage none of the other manufacturers can even come close to. And I don't see any of the other manufacturers running out to make their own battery plants. I see Tesla dominating the EV market for the foreseeable future.

If you HAD to buy an EV today, you would probably buy a Tesla. And a far second would be every other manufacturer including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, etc. Even if your a loyalist to those brands you have to reasonably know your buying a second tier product.
 
MarkVI said:
You have all of my sympathy for your back problems, but I think you've made my point for me. If the only use case is "it's easier for passengers (not the driver) to get in and out after back surgery or if they're old and have a bad back" I feel safe calling the advantages pretty limited.

I never said that gull wings only had downsides, it's just that the list of cons far outweighs the pros. How many times have you had a regular car door fail on you? Do you even know anyone that has had an issue? The technology is so simple and it just works. Gull wings (outside the original Mercedes they were used on) are a solution in search of a problem.

Besides, my larger point is that for all the smart ideas Musk has, his silly fetish with weird doors needs to be curtailed. Can we at least agree that the retracting door handles on the Model S offer no meaningful utility and introduce a host of possible complications? And no, there is no way they reduce drag enough on a 5000lb car enough to matter. If you google Model S door handle the first autocomplete suggestion is "Model S door handle fix."
Click to expand...
you have me there, the handles are stupid
 
Lizard Testes said:
If the only justification anyone can come up with for the falcon wing doors is that they're great for people nearly immobilized by spinal surgery then that's a bigger condemnation of them than anything anyone else has said.
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well obejectly, this is an expensive car, thus the people who can afford them are probably older,
According to Carey and Freburger, more than 80% of americans will have back pain in there lifetime.

I'm not saying it's its only perk, but for a lot of people they might like that feature. not enough to make it a must buy, but comparing it to the competetion, especially when it boils down to feelings over cost. Hey, that might tip the scales
 
Rahh said:
I don't know... As AlphaQup pointed out the safety rating is a major plus. These cars have the best of the best safety ratings out there and the side impact has a lot to do with that. Is it because of the gullwing doors for sure? I'm not certain but it definitely isn't hurting.
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Gullwing doors have nothing to do with side crash safety raiting. Expect that they are unlikely to open after even a minor crash.
 
Rahh said:
I don't know... As AlphaQup pointed out the safety rating is a major plus. These cars have the best of the best safety ratings out there and the side impact has a lot to do with that. Is it because of the gullwing doors for sure? I'm not certain but it definitely isn't hurting.
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Big question is if you can actually get out of that car after a serious crash and will the battery not catch fire? Over-complicated design with electric everything clearly isn't the best idea for safety. Not sure windows is necessarily viable option for escape in many modern cards as they got so small that an average person can barely make it out. For Tesla, it's an overpriced show off car with little practicality. At least S looks solid but 3 looks like a cheap ass budget car but it's not.
 
Accursed said:
If you HAD to buy an EV today, you would probably buy a Tesla. And a far second would be every other manufacturer including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, etc. Even if your a loyalist to those brands you have to reasonably know your buying a second tier product.
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If I had to buy a full EV non hybrid today, it would be a 2012 Nissan Leaf because I’m not paying $30k+ for a New Chevy Bolt, New Nissan or used Tesla.

Granted I just did a quick search 30 miles in my area but the price is just too damn high for me still.
 
Accursed said:
And I don't see any of the other manufacturers running out to make their own battery plants.
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This is a bit of a misnomer. Can you really call it tesla's plant? They are technically panasonic batteries.
 
BloodyIron said:
How is it similar to a model 3 if it's an SUV? I am confused.
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Is going to wind up looking like the X-which looks like a puffed up Model S

The X is fucking ugly looking-they should go for a more traditional 2 box/CUV look instead of a Sedan that has a mutated passenger cabin. I'm gonna assume the Y is going to look like ass too.
 
Wolf-R1 said:
With this mentality who stays in business? They should all just quit since someone else has already thought of 'it'. But counter to your point why is everyone else getting on the EV bandwagon since Tesla already did it?
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I don't think it's a bandwagon, and i never said that. Tesla just basically enjoyed a complete lack of competition and still can't make money.
 
Nolan7689 said:
If I had to buy a full EV non hybrid today, it would be a 2012 Nissan Leaf because I’m not paying $30k+ for a New Chevy Bolt, New Nissan or used Tesla.

Granted I just did a quick search 30 miles in my area but the price is just too damn high for me still.
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Hmm, OK, I agree you bring up a valid argument on the price point. But once you crack that $30k threshold is there any other obvious choices? If you had $40k to spend on an elecric car which would you choose?

Your pick of a 2012 Leaf is a good entry level EV and probably would be my pick also if I had a strict budget. Hope the price of the Bolts drop, as those seem like really good cars also. The problem is that Tesla with their $35k model skews what value Chevy offers with the bolt. So the Bolt will drop in price as most people with Bolt money will probably opt for a Model 3.

Verge said:
This is a bit of a misnomer. Can you really call it tesla's plant? They are technically panasonic batteries.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigafactory_1

"The Tesla Gigafactory 1 is a lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle subassembly factory near Reno, Nevada[3][4][5]. The facility is owned and operated by Tesla, Inc. to supply the battery packs for its electric vehicles and stationary storage systems."

Tesla built it and while Panasonic does operate within it, It is Tesla's Battery plant. Tesla negotiated that and Panasonic does have a huge investment in their machinery and technology within the plant, They where equally crucial in bringing the plant into existence. But as stated, it is Tesla plant and they did build it.
 
I'd like a Y, where it's a sedan with a hatch back, like a 3 + hatchback, or something like that.

GT98 said:
Is going to wind up looking like the X-which looks like a puffed up Model S

The X is fucking ugly looking-they should go for a more traditional 2 box/CUV look instead of a Sedan that has a mutated passenger cabin. I'm gonna assume the Y is going to look like ass too.
Click to expand...
 
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