The Tesla Model Y made history last year, becoming the first ever fully-electric vehicle to lead the global market as the world's best-selling vehicle.
Sales of the Tesla Model Y totalled 1.22 million units globally, up by 64 per cent from 2022, or 480,000 more units than 2021 — a result achieved by no other manufacturer before. It was even number 12 in the Irish sales charts last year, and the second most popular EV, with 2,220 new units sold.
So why is it that the Tesla Model Y is so popular? It's by no means a budget-friendly EV. Irish pricing for the new long range rear-wheel drive version I've been driving starts from €48,021 – over eight grand more than the newly crowned Irish Car of the Year, the Renault Scenic E-Tech.
Add that to company owner Elon Musk turning X, formerly Twitter, into a far-right echo chamber, and you have plenty to mull over. I had driven Tesla cars before, both on track and on foreign roads, but I must admit, having recently lived with one in Ireland, the hype makes a bit more sense.
Inside, Tesla cars have been somewhat 'basic' and always dominated by a centre touchscreen. The latest Model Y continues in the same vein, with below-premium interior finishes and a 15.4-inch central touchscreen, a 13-speaker sound system and adaptive cruise control remaining as standard.
Essential information such as speed and navigation are only displayed on the centre screen, resulting in the need to briefly take your eyes off the road - an unwanted and recurring theme amongst many new cars.
Interior space is enormous however, both for front and rear passengers, thanks, in part, to a completely flat floor and an all-glass roof. Max cargo space is over 2,000-litres. Materials are also easy to wipe down, another plus if you're considering the Model Y as your next family car.
Replacing the existing rear-wheel drive variant, the upgraded Tesla Model Y long range rear-wheel drive comes with a new heat pump as standard, which can remotely pre-heat or cool the cabin without draining too much range.
Tesla quotes a new range of up to 600km (100km more than previously ), but a fully charged battery only shows a return of around 520km in the real world. By my reckoning, the latest Tesla Model Y is a leader when it comes to cost per kilometre for an electric SUV.
Its single motor, combined with an energy-dense battery pack, standard heat-pump and low resistance tyres, maximise efficiency. There’s a choice of 19-inch ‘Dark Gemini’ wheels, or 20-inch ‘Induction Wheels’, with the former said to help produce a greater range.
Perks of driving or owning a Tesla are the dedicated supercharger network as well as the Tesla app. Combined, public charging on this network is as simple as plugging in a mobile phone, with unrivalled charging speeds.
The app allows you to check charging progress in real time and to start or stop charging. You can also pre-heat or defrost the car from anywhere. The Model Y has a max supercharging speed of 250 kW, a top speed of around 217km/h and a modest 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.5 seconds.
Raheen Woods Hotel in Athenry now boasts a network of seven Tesla superchargers, with the six in Enfield being the next port of call on a trip to Dublin.
The Tesla Model Y is a perfectly capable and adequate electric vehicle. It's not going to whet your appetite for driving fun, but it won't leave a sour taste in your mouth, either.
