New Base Tesla Model Y - Almost the Cost of a Model 3 RWD

Base Model Y and Base Model 3 - Nearly the Same Cost

Tesla has released the base Model Y again, about a month after taking it off their website, and we have the details on it.

The base Model Y is a rear-wheel drive version and it has the following:

* $43,990 price tag - qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit

* 260 miles of range

* 135 miles per hour top speed

* 0-60 mph of 6.6 seconds

Is the battery of this car an LFP battery? The reason this question matters is that if it is, you can charge to 100% regularly without as much battery degradation.

To put this in perspective, I've owned my 2022 Model 3 RWD for almost 14 months and 11,500 miles and my battery degradation is 4%. Most EVs degrade 10% the first year and about 1% to 2% each year after, to an even slower degradation over time. Most EVs don't degrade beyond 20% and an LFP battery seems to be about half of this - meaning that a 10% degradation for the life of the vehicle isn't unrealistic.

The weight of a Model 3 RWD from, 2022 is 3,648 pounds. This Model Y weighs 4,154 pounds. The Model Y is a bigger car and I have to assume that it weights more because of that and having an LFP battery. Also, the 0-60 mph speed is 6.6 seconds, also suggesting an LFP battery.

You May Also Be Interested In: Will Tesla employees create a Union?

Should You Get a Base Model Y?

Because this vehicle has an LFP battery, this means you can charge it to 100% regularly without as much degradation. I've proven that with my vehicle.

The question you have to ask yourself is, is 260 miles of range enough for you? Will you be going on long road trips and want to drive for long periods of time? Will you mostly be doing regular commutes of short to medium distances?

If this is your daily driver, then the car is a very good deal for that usage. You can even take it camping, and 260 miles of range is enough to charge on a road trip. Superchargers are getting built in more and more locations.

The price of the Model 3 RWD is $40,240 and this Model Y, base version is $43,990. That's less than a $4,000 difference. The Model Y does have a lot of extra space, and so it might be exactly what you need.

What do you think about this new Model Y base version - would you get it?

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers.

Jeremy Johnson is a Tesla investor and supporter. He first invested in Tesla in 2017 after years of following Elon Musk and admiring his work ethic and intelligence. Since then, he's become a Tesla bull, covering anything about Tesla he can find, while also dabbling in other electric vehicle companies. Jeremy covers Tesla developments at Torque News. You can follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn to stay in touch and follow his Tesla news coverage on Torque News. Image Credit, Tesla, Screenshot