Tesla releases Model Y Performance in Europe — will it staunch the bleeding?

Tesla is offering a caller show mentation of its Model Y crossover for the European market. The caller variant is aimed astatine boosting the company’s income connected the continent, which person been successful escaped autumn for astir of the twelvemonth acknowledgment to increasing contention from China and marque harm from Elon Musk’s fascist antics.

The Model Y Performance, which volition spell connected merchantability successful September, looks to beryllium a measurement supra the basal exemplary successful astir categories. It volition beryllium quicker, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h successful conscionable 3.5 seconds, arsenic compared to 4.8 seconds for the regular Model Y. It volition person longer range, with an estimated 580 km (360 miles) based connected the much generous WLTP standard. And it volition person 460 horsepower, up from the 265 hp disposable successful the rear-wheel thrust model.

The improved show hasn’t travel astatine the disbursal of efficiency, which Tesla cites arsenic acknowledgment to “new, high-density artillery cells.” The Model Y Performance volition beryllium capable to adhd 243 km (151 miles) of scope successful 15 minutes. And the artillery should devour powerfulness astatine a complaint of 16.2 kWh/100 km.

Tesla has besides made immoderate tweaks to the look of the Model Y, adding caller beforehand and rear fascia and a carbon-fiber spoiler for improved aerodynamics. And the wheels are caller 21-inchers, arsenic compared to the 19- and 20-inch ones for the RWD and Long Range versions of the Model Y.

Inside the vehicle, Tesla has added immoderate badging that looks akin to the Plaid themes utilized successful its different show vehicles. It besides somewhat accrued the size of the halfway touchscreen to 16 inches from 15.4. The thrust prime should beryllium amended acknowledgment to adaptive damping adjustments and caller thrust modes for “high-speed driving.” This could beryllium akin to the Tesla Model Y L upgrade that was conscionable released successful China, which has been praised for its improved roadworthy handling.

But the large question hanging implicit this caller variant is whether it volition assistance crook astir Tesla’s fortunes successful Europe. The automaker’s income plunged a staggering 42 percent successful July arsenic buyers flocked to Chinese brands similar BYD. This continued a inclination we’ve been seeing implicit the people of the year, with Tesla’s income dropping each period successful the EU since January. Meanwhile, BYD’s July income were up 225 percent. The driblet successful income coincided with Musk’s determination to the right, including his enactment for Germany’s right-wing AfD party.

Tesla has pinned its hopes connected robotics and self-driving cars to assistance crook things around. But the automaker hasn’t received regulatory approval to merchantability its Full Self-Driving diagnostic successful the EU, limiting the company’s efforts to propulsion that peculiar communicative connected the continent.

The Model Y Performance starts astatine €62,000 (approximately $73,000) in Germany — though prices volition alteration state by country.