While Tesla may already have the electric vehicle market cornered with three models that cover most of the mainstream car market, the upcoming Model Y is slated to be the biggest performer by far.
Unfortunately, the American brand has hit a speed bump in the form of "unacceptable range" when taking the lowest spec Model Y to market, choosing to axe the 'Short Range' model entirely.
Click here to view all Tesla models on DRIVEN
News of this came over the weekend when Elon Musk responded to a fan's tweet asking if the Short Range Model Y is still heading into production or not. "No, as range would be unacceptably low (< 250 mile EPA)," Musk replied.
While the Model Y isn't sold in New Zealand just yet, it hit the American market a couple of months ago. But as the fully-electric Mustang Mach e heads into production, this Model Y issue might prove to be a nightmare for Tesla.
In America, the base Mustang Mach e is now priced US$6,000 less than the new entry-level Model Y. Opting for an all-wheel drive Mach e to match a similar Model Y will be US$5,000 more expensive, but US EV tax rebates will reportedly knock that premium off it.
While Tesla's stock may be on the up daily, this shows the brand's youthfulness when trying to compete with legacy manufacturers such as Ford who have been turning over vehicles for decades.
While this news will disrupt the American EV market, it shouldn't affect New Zealand too much, as historically, Tesla will only bring in the higher-spec models.