Tesla Model Y

Long-awaited electric SUV builds on the Model 3’s talents for more family appeal On sale Spring 2022 Price from £55,000 (est)

- Will Nightingale

YOU’VE GOT TO hand it to Tesla. A decade ago it was nowhere, and even five years ago, those of us supposedly in the know gave the American brand next to no hope of challenging the traditional big car makers. Today, though, it’s bigger than BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

And even if you scoff at the sometimes fickle nature of the stock markets, Tesla is finally delivering profits and competing at the pointy end of the sales charts. Indeed, for much of the past two years the Model 3 saloon has been Britain’s top-selling electric car, and for several of those months it was the bestselling car of all.

What’s behind the incredible growth? Well, like most success stories, equal slices of flair and fortune. Tesla had the foresight to build a worldwide ‘Supercharger’ charging network that’s both reliable and easy to use, plus its cars have always had long ranges between charges. Moves by various governments, including our own, to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the not-too-distant future have also helped put Tesla in an enviable position.

But while the Model 3 has taken Tesla’s sales figures to a whole new level, thanks largely to its more realistic pricing than the Model S and Model X, it still isn’t suitable for everyone. Its saloon boot isn’t great for families, for example, and it isn’t an SUV; for many buyers, that’s an instant turn-off. That’s where the new Model Y comes in. It is, in effect, a Model 3 that’s been pumped full of growth hormone to give it a higher driving position and more room inside.