【Germany Archives】

All eyes were on Germany Archivesthe Model Y after Tesla's latest earnings call. The compact electric SUV based on the "budget-friendly" Model 3 sedan is apparently arriving sooner than expected.

During the Wednesday call, Tesla went over production plans for its newest vehicle and they were surprisingly ahead of schedule. No, we're not talking about the Cybertruck, as that's still a ways off before production, although Tesla CEO Elon Musk did rattle off some high praise for the sci-fi-inspired electric pickup. He was recently spotted in the Los Angeles area showing off the truck to former late night host Jay Leno.

But back to the Model Y. Instead of blaming "production hell," or why car orders had been backing up, Musk and other executives seemed optimistic that the three-row SUV was starting production at the Fremont factory and that it should get here on time, perhaps even early for some owners.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

The first Model Y vehicles will be delivered by the end of this quarter, sometime in the spring. That is — wait for it — a full season ahead of the expected first deliveries. Last year when the Model Y was officially unveiled, Tesla claimed its long-range version would be here by fall 2020. In the past few months, eagle-eyed Tesla fans have spotted production Model Ys out in the wild in parts of the U.S. and Canada.

The Model Y is already starting production. Credit: tesla

The cheapest model isn't expected until 2021, so the price-conscious shouldn't get too excited about the company getting its act together and performing that efficiently. Remember, this is still Tesla, the company that took what felt like forever to start delivering the Model 3 in 2018. And the promise of a lower-cost Model 3 didn't arrive until February 2019, just barely.

The Model Y is very similar in design to the Model 3, which has been flying off the factory floor. In the last three months of 2019, more than 92,600 Model 3s were delivered. That's to Tesla's advantage, since it'll be easier to get the new SUV up and out to owners since it's following a similar factory production plan. It's just a matter of doing that at volume. As Musk said during the call, "We're not too worried about demand, we're worried about production."

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

To help with that, 2021 is when Model Y production will start at the new Tesla Shanghai factory. Eventually the Model Y will also be made at the soon-to-be-built Berlin-area factory. So much Model Y coming up.

Another pleasant surprise, the expected 280-mile range battery for the Model Y was officially bumped to 315 miles. Crushing it. Musk also noted that "we're rapidly approaching 400-mile range for the Model S," so look out for that.

SEE ALSO: Tesla stock hits an all-time high of $420

"The Model Y’s design might not have broken the internet like the Cybertruck did during its unveil, but with its competitive pricing and range, it has the potential to be Tesla’s best-selling vehicle,” wrote Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at automotive analysis firm Edmunds, wrote in an email.

Despite all the excitement over Tesla as a functional car company, it still dropped more than 25 percent in earnings, down to $105 million in profit from $140 million the previous year.

Still, Musk was gung-ho about the upcoming car.

"We'll go as fast as we can with Model Y and make sure it's a great product."

There's a lot riding on the Model Y.

Topics Electric Vehicles Tesla Elon Musk

• Life
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Social Good
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Tech

• Go Tell it in the Mountain State
• Samsung Galaxy S20 leaks again, this time on Samsung's own website
• Divorced couple still gets their family photo taken every year for their son
• Cadillac crams 38 inches of screen in the new Escalade
• White Knight Syndrome
• Disney+ crosses 26 million subscribers in less than three months. Thanks, Baby Yoda.
• Twitter exploit let 'bad actors' match phone numbers to accounts
• The states with the most and least access to decent, affordable internet
• Two Poems
• Pictures of an airborne Harry Styles ignite a Photoshop battle for the ages

• A herd of deer cause havoc during cross country race.
• What's coming to Netflix in May 2019
• 'Not on our campus': American students stand up against Trump
• 'The Word Of The Day Is' turns Slack into a game with a $1,000 prize
• Amazon launches in
• Samsung is developing its own blockchain network, report claims
• How to turn 'Mortal Kombat 11' into the best drinking game ever
• Tesla Model S and Model X ranges get big upgrades
• Samsung's Galaxy Fold might ship on June 13
• 'Jeopardy!' champion surpasses $1 million in winnings in just 14 games

• The Feminist Horizon
• Electric vehicles dominated the Super Bowl
• Amazon's Ring doorbell update allows opt out of all video requests
• Coldplay's Chris Martin visits sick fan hours before concert
• Plunged Into Darkness
• Cadillac crams 38 inches of screen in the new Escalade
• Watch this legendary short movie from 1895 colorized and in 4K
• Samsung Galaxy S20 leaks again, this time on Samsung's own website
• No Mothers, No Daughters
• Pictures of an airborne Harry Styles ignite a Photoshop battle for the ages

• Techies and Tankies
• Parent lovingly embarrasses their teen with a custom Snapchat filter
• Iowa caucus results delayed thanks to 'inconsistencies' with voting app
• Housemates reach new levels of petty with a note for their Amazon deliveryman
• Weekly Bafflements
• Twitter reveals its employees have equitable pay on #EqualPayDay
• Pepsi pulls cringeworthy Kendall Jenner ad after massive backlash
• Bella Hadid explains why she is 'proud to be a Muslim'
• The Book of No Despair
• Owner gives adorable 3