Model Y “Surprising”Demand !!! Last week was a moment that I have been waiting for since the introduction of the Model Y in the USA over two years ago. The release of the Model Y to the Australian market. 

The release of the Model Y inspired many thousands of Australians to place an order for the highly anticipated vehicle. I have written about it many times in the last number of years that the Model Y will be a game-changer for the electric vehicle landscape in Australia.

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Australia’s appetite

The Model Y is the electric vehicle that will appeal the most to Australians. 

An SUV that can travel more than 400kms and carry a family of 5 with room to spare.

The appeal of this vehicle has been only enhanced by the fact that in the recent past Australians have come to realize that electric vehicles are the way forward.

They have understood that getting on board now can assist in avoiding rising fuel and maintenance costs.

The Australian population is more motivated than ever. 

Demand

So, it comes as a surprise to no one but Elon himself that the demand was a surprise in right-hand drive (RHD) countries.

https://www.thestreet.com/technology/tesla-and-elon-musk-surprised-by-great-news-australia

This demand has been coming for a while now as Model 3 orders had blown out to deliveries of March-May of 2023. So, to see the Model Y hit a similar milestone just a few hours after ordering started would suggest that Tesla had not thought that interest and orders would have been as high as the Model 3. I guess they were wrong.

Globally the Model Y has outstripped the orders of the Model 3 in every market where it has become available.

Even Elon has said on occasion that the Model Y will sell more than the model 3 so to hear him state that he was surprised by the demand is a little odd.

However, on the upside, Elon did mention that they were working on ways to meet the demand.

EV Manufacturers

Model Y “Surprising”Demand !!! But Tesla is not alone as many other manufacturers are also having similar issues. 

Recently VW cancelled all its orders for the XC40 (Insert article) in Australia due to not being able to meet demand. Many manufacturers when releasing their vehicles to the market are finding that the vehicles sell almost instantly due to demand. 

“Surprising”, is not the word I would have given to the demand in RHD countries. 

“Expected” would have been a better comment. 

But we are where we are, and we hope that Tesla and other manufacturers can increase demand in the coming months and years. 

Enhanced Autopilot

But that wasn’t where the fun stopped. Just yesterday Tesla released almost globally the Enhanced Autopilot suite back to the public. 

This middle-of-the-road driver assistance features is a nice compromise for most people and much more attainable than the 10 – 12 thousand price range (depending on the country) of the Full Self Driving Stack.

The autopilot system that is released with Tesla’s, as standard, is extremely well received and functional on most freeways with the driver being at the wheel and monitoring its progress and intervening when required. The enhanced autopilot takes all the great features and adds to them. The subtle differences come in the form of 

• Auto lane changes
• Summon
• Smart Summon
• Auto Park 

These features are some of the most requested features that the Full self-driving stack has had for several years. 

On several occasions, Ryan McCaffery from the Ride the lightning podcast discussed the viability of reintroducing the EAP. It seems that Tesla has also heard the comments and has now responded to those who have asked and re-introduced the functionality. 

These features are in most cases half the cost of the Full Self-Driving stack and will be well received.

Future of Transportation

I am sure the uptake will be high for most tesla drivers across the globe who have wanted the FSD stack but could not justify the cost and now can purchase it and will only assist in keeping the roads safer. 

Tesla has led the charge to move the historical views on what a vehicle is into a realm whereby Tesla is considered not just a car company but a technology company. 

The future of what transportation is and how it will change our lives is just getting started and I for one am very excited by the changes that are occurring. 

Model Y “Surprising”Demand !!! Demand is something that we all will have to manage moving forward.  As our appetite for the change to electric vehicles grows. From this point forward we will see nothing but demand as the countries of the world move to a greener and healthier future for all. 

Dave 

P.S. Unfortunately, there has been a global price rise for Model Y late Friday. This is a small negative in a great ocean of positives. It does however make it harder for the average person to purchase. Hopefully, over time this will change.