Stripping cars to lower the asking price is a decades-old practice. Tesla’s new Model Y Standard has stripped out many features to bring its sticker price down to $41,630, a full $5,000 less than the Premium. You lose the ventilated front seats, the electrically adjustable steering wheel, the heated rear seats and the eight-inch rear passenger display.
The entry-level version also does without the light bars, FM/AM radio and perforated vegan leather surfaces. It comes with a downgraded battery, a weaker rear motor and smaller wheels. But what about the glass roof? Well, that’s where things get strange. The Model Y Standard still has a panoramic glass roof like the more expensive versions, but you can’t see it from the inside.
That’s because Tesla covered it with a headliner. Confused? Us too. Apparently it’s cheaper to do this than redesign the Model Y for a steel roof. Avoiding the need to design and install such a large body panel makes sense, at least to some extent. Both Edmunds And Car and driverwho got early access to the standard model confirm that the glass panel is still there; it’s just hidden behind dust.
What’s confusing is that adding a component such as a full headliner typically increases production costs. Although I’m not an engineer, it seems more cost effective to leave the ceiling as is. Especially because the Model 3 Standard keeps its glass roof visible. Apparently not.
Photo by: Tesla
According to Edmundsa Tesla engineer admitted that it was indeed cheaper to cover the glass roof with a headliner. Car and driver also reports that Tesla saved money this way instead of switching to metal. Motor trend confirms that the glass is still there, but not the see-through part.
Engine has contacted Tesla for comment and will update this story if we receive a response. In the meantime, a plausible explanation is that Tesla wants to encourage buyers to opt for the more expensive Premium version. Another possibility is that it is simply cheaper to produce a headliner without a cutout for the glass.
Attached above is a screenshot of the configurator that suggests the headliner is a basic one-piece part, presumably cheaper to manufacture. On the other hand, making one type of component in a larger volume usually leads to economies of scale compared to having two different pieces.
Maybe we’re missing something, but this still seems like a strange move, even for Tesla. Either way, we wouldn’t be surprised if Model Y Standard owners end up ripping off the headliner. I know I would be tempted. You can catch it at 0:26 in the official video below.
#base #Tesla #Model #glass #roof