Pierre is one of the first 6 French motorists to receive his Model Y, manufactured in the German Tesla factory. If today he is happy to own and drive this electric SUV, it is for a number of reasons that he revealed it to Maxime Fontanier.
Made in Germany
Repeatedly postponed, production at Tesla’s European factory has began last March, focusing on the Model Y in performance version. On the 22nd of the same month, we heard that the first 30 German customers had been delivered. Rare for this manufacturer, a press release was issued for the occasion. He specified that some French drivers would also be served Before the end of the month.
According to our witness Pierre, who received his copy ordered on January 12, 2022 on March 31. In order to be satisfied so quickly, he had to pay the full invoice amount about 6 weeks before the delivery date. He regrets a long unfriendly contact with the team of the American manufacturer: ” They are not looking for the customer. You can see it, they show it to you, demonstrate it and explain it to you very easily †
Balanced, our reader is still pleased to have noticed no defects in the finish or tuning of his car. A quality characteristic of the Berlin factory? Hard to say today.
Performance vs. Great Autonomy
Apart from the price – 62,990 compared to 66,990 euros on April 20, 2022 -, what will change between the Long Autonomy and Performance versions of the Tesla Model Y Electric SUV † Both have four-wheel drive provided by the same two motors: induction for the front, synchronous with permanent magnets for the rear.
Except that the Performance derives from this donation a power of 534 hp against 457 hp. The 0-100 km/h exercise goes from 5 to 3.7 seconds for the unrestrained Model Y whose top speed is also increased from 217 to 250 km/h. With a battery with a comparable gross energy capacity of about 79 kWh, the range of the smarter version is 19 km higher, namely 533 instead of 514 km.
Other features of the Performance version include a revised braking system, lowered suspension, standard 21-inch Überturbine alloy wheels, an aluminum-style crankset and a carbon fiber spoiler that improves stability at high speeds.
A model that corresponds to the use of Pierre
Why did you choose a Performance version? † Because it’s the one that best suits our usage today “answers Peter. The household previously had 3 cars. He and his partner each used a vehicle on a daily basis. The latter is used for the weekend.
Game changer with the Tesla Model Y † It is used daily by my wife, but also serves for weekends and family vacations. So it becomes just as much an everyday car as it is a pleasure car. This pleasure side forced us to choose the most efficient one “, he explains.
Due to relatively intensive use with quite a few trips around town, our witness wanted to improve the appearance of his car. He learned from watching YouTube videos that ” paints and varnishes are extremely vulnerable at Tesla That’s why he immediately entrusted his Model Y to a specialist in detailing who performed a Polish complete bodywork, before fully applying a PPF protective film. Sporting also black logos, the machine was christened dark angel†
The Model Y every day
Pierre charges his Model Y at home. † It’s very long! But you plug it into your garage at 8pm and find it fully charged the next morning. So far we haven’t gotten beyond 80% energy in the battery, which gives us an estimated range of 420 km. That’s usually enough for the week he encrypts.
Although the chassis has been lowered, Maxime Fontanier did not notice any greater hardness in the Performance version than in the Grande Autonomie. † I find the suspension hard, but on the other hand the seats are extremely soft Pierre counters. † The turning circle, on the other hand, is a real flaw. A U-turn that you can just do in a parking lot with another car, you have to do it 3 times behind the wheel of the Model Y he warns.
During a short tour with Dark Angel, Maxime Fontanier taught our reader that the low perception of rolling noise on board is due to Pirelli, who developed specific tires with sound-absorbing foam for this model. The impression is accentuated by the presence of a luggage cover in the trunk.
Equipment and options
† Thanks to the double glazing at the front and back, you will not hear any outside noise. Mainly because I tend to listen to music a little loud and the Model Y has an extraordinary audio system. It’s one of the best I know Pieter says. His electric SUV comes with a few options, including black lacquer and improved Autopilot, billable 1,190 and 3,800 euros respectively.
In particular, the latter brings Autopilot navigation, automatic lane changes to overtake another vehicle, autonomous parking and intelligent exit from a parking space. Our reader indicates that he followed the advice of other users for this, and of Maxime Fontanier himself via a test video of the Long Range version of the Model Y†
† Full is useless. On the other hand, the first level is useful if only by taking the highways where the car changes lanes on its own, preventing it from ringing all the time. Since we will be driving it a lot in the city, automatic parking can help us ‘ he justifies.
Soon a first long journey
† With this electric car, autonomy is no longer a problem “says Pieter. However, he discovered that different systems have a tendency to drain the battery Sentinel mode that monitors activity around the vehicle by means of 4 cameras, but also the automatic system that maintains the temperature on board.
† We haven’t tried it yet the Tesla superchargersbut soon we will make our first long trip with the Model Y, to the south of Portugal, to Faro ’, our reader reveals. † We wanted to make it simple by taking just one badge, Chargemap that we consider the most open† We expect to be able to charge from 10-80% in 20 minutes. So charging is not a problem either “, he feels.
† The Tesla Model Y, it’s an extraordinary concept, it’s a different car, and it just makes you happy Pierre concludes by expressing a joy that he hopes will be contagious.
The entire Automobile Propre team thanks him for his cheerful testimony!
