Tesla has still yet to begin delivering the all-important Model Y in the UK, but British buyers’ wait may finally be over, according to one report. It states that Model Y deliveries to the British Isles will begin on February 19 and Tesla will organise a special handover event that will be held at the Horizon Cruise Terminal in the city of Southampton.
Teslarati says it has learned about the handover party from sources familiar with the matter. We already knew that the Tesla Model Ys that were going to be sold in the UK were manufactured in China, at the Shanghai Gigafactory, currently the only facility making the model in right-hand drive.
Right-hand drive Model Y production actually began around the middle of last year, but the first batch of vehicles that were built were all destined to be sold in Hong Kong and other Asian markets. The UK had to wait until 2022 and now people are reporting seeing right-hand drive Model Ys, so the news that official sales will commence does not surprise us.
Most Model Ys on the road in Europe were manufactured in China, especially those bought new on the Old Continent and not the early grey imports from the United States. The same factory will provide RHD Model Ys for all markets that drive on that side of the road, with Australia expected to get the model not long after the UK.
As we have previously reported, all these new made-in-China Teslas most likely feature the AMD Ryzen chip, which apparently has a small effect on the vehicle’s range. They should also have additional changes including a lithium-ion 12V battery that runs the auxiliary systems.
Tesla began taking UK orders for the Model Y in October of 2021, when it promised first deliveries would begin in early 2022. Pricing starts at £54,990, for the Long Range AWD, rising to £64,990 for the Performance.
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Source: Teslarati