Every company needs loyal customers for consistent growth. And the easiest way to gain this loyalty is by delivering top-notch products that aren’t flawed by manufacturing defects.
That’s the mantra automobile-giant Tesla follows. Founded by Elon Musk, Tesla is known for its innovative products, which find tremendous appeal with its customer base. But recently, the company is in the news for discontinuing its Model Y range.
Tesla’s Model Y range, that’s been in production since 2020, was characterized by a chassis, interiors, and powertrain similar to the 2021 Model 3. With a unique SUV style, the car had additional cargo space and an optional third row of seats. But even after offering such a good set of features, the company has decided to stop producing more vehicles in the lineup.
Let’s find out why.
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What’s wrong with the 2021 Model Y?
Since the last week of February 2021, Tesla’s standard Model Y range has gone through a lot of ups and downs. First, the 244-mile Standard Range Model Y went through a drastic $2000 price drop, and then a few days later, the vehicle could no longer be found on Tesla’s online configurator.
Quite expectedly, the fluctuations raised several questions; more so since the model’s upper trims (326-miles Long Range and 303-miles Performance) were still visible on the configurator. But at the time, Tesla ignored the questions and chose to remain silent.
Then on February 23, 2021, when a Twitter user questioned Elon Musk regarding the Standard Model Y’s disappearance, the automaker finally decided to answer the question. Stating the reason behind the model’s disappearance, Musk revealed that it’s still available “off the menu.” He revealed that the reason the Model range was taken off the choice board was that it wasn’t up to Tesla’s standard of excellence.
Interestingly, Model Y has been under constant scrutiny and has been removed from the online configurator in July 2020 as well. At the time, Musk had tweeted that it wouldn’t go into production because of an unacceptably low range (an EPA below 250-miles).
But in January 2021, Tesla re-included the vehicle in the online menu with its existing 244-mile range while offering the option for a third-row as a trade-off of sorts to make up for the low EPA. Even though the model couldn’t match the ground-per-charge cover as other Tesla lineups, it was suitable for customers looking for a cash-saving alternative.
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Vehicles from the lineup can still be bought offline
Though Model Y vehicles aren’t available on the online choice board, you can still buy them “off-menu” by calling up or visiting a Tesla store. In 2019, Tesla Model 3 buyers had to go through the same process.
Currently, the company isn’t launching any more models. The focus at present is shifting some nickel-made battery models to iron.