The 2020 Tesla Model Y is Tesla’s biggest product launch since the Model 3 – and arguably ever. Now, Tesla has begun confirming imminent Model Y deliveries, and began urging customers to ”prepare for delivery” on February 27th.

Tesla confirms ”imminent” Tesla Model Y deliveries

News that the Fremont-based automaker was confirming deliveries of the 2020 Tesla Model Y first broke on February 24th. In Tesla’s Q4 2019 financial results, the company said that it was starting Model Y production in January of 2020.

This was months ahead of the original timeline, which was guiding Model Y deliveries during the fall of 2020. At the same time, Tesla also said the Model Y Long Range would boast 315 miles (~507 km) of range. 315 miles (~507 km) is a substantial increase from the previous Model Y range estimate of 280 miles (~451 km).

During the Q4 call, Tesla said that Model Y deliveries would begin happening during March of 2020. Sure enough, the automaker has recently sent out emails confirming deliveries of the 2020 Tesla Model Y:

”Congratulations! Your Model Y is ready for delivery in March 2020.The next step for you is to confirm when you’re able to take delivery so we can ensure the best experience possible […]”

The 2020 Tesla Model Y will begin reaching consumers on March 15th

Customers will have to confirm their availability on Tesla’s website, which presents them with a range of options, shown below. Reports suggest that the earliest possible delivery date for the 2020 Tesla Model Y is currently March 15th.

It is unclear whether Tesla employees with Model Y preorders will receive their cars before March 15th. During the Model 3 ramp, Tesla began its product rollout with employee deliveries. This was intentional, in part to get feedback on early production versions of the vehicle.

As such, it is possible that Model Y deliveries could already have begun to employees. However, it is equally possible that Tesla is feeling bolder with the Model Y ramp, and is opening up early vehicle deliveries to all reservation holders. The first versions of the Model Y to begin production are the five-seater configuration Model Y Performance and Model Y Long Range AWD.

Model Y Performance, Long Range AWD and Long Range RWD all seemingly in production

Now, however, there are signs that this production ramp is going smoother than expected. On September 26th, reports said that Tesla was proposing five-seater alternatives to its seven-seater buyers for quicker delivery.

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Today, customers holding preorders for the Model Y Long Range RWD five-seater were told to ”prepare for delivery”. The Model Y Long Range RWD will start at $47,000 in the US. Moreover, it does 0 to 60 mph (0 to ~100 km) in roughly 5.5 seconds.

Some observers are expressing surprise over the fact that Tesla is quickly guiding different Model Y trims for delivery. However, one should note that all three versions of the car were originally set to release at the same time.

This was simply ”Fall 2020”, but things have obviously changed since Tesla moved up the production of the Model Y. It is unclear whether Tesla intends to include its upcoming 110 kWh battery in the Model Y. However, Tesla’s ”Project Roadrunner” will no doubt eventually come to the vehicle.

TSLA Times’ Take:

First of all, this is an interesting development. Musk said he expects Model Y demand to outpace even Model 3 demand, which is still high years after launch. Nevertheless, these recent emails indicate one of two things.

The first scenario is a bullish one – that the 2020 Tesla Model Y ramp is going better than Tesla thought. Moreover, there is evidence supporting this thesis. The Tesla Model Y shares roughly 76% of parts with the Model 3.

Consequently, the Model Y should be significantly easier to ramp than a completely original design. Instead, its production could be comparable to the ongoing Model 3 of ~7,000 cars per week out of Fremont. Furthermore, Tesla has done its homework after the ”production hell” of the early Model 3 days.

The Model Y’s engineering is said to be more straightforward than Model 3’s, with a radically simpler wiring system. Additionally, Tesla is already in its second month of Model Y manufacturing, suggesting production may be picking up the pace.

On the other hand, there is also a bearish scenario: that demand is lower than Model Y production. Although possible, one should not read too much into this. Unlike legacy automakers, Tesla does not spend money on traditional advertising.

Instead, Tesla and Tesla vehicles mainly rely on word-of-mouth to drive demand. The Model 3, Model X and even Model S launches show that demand for Tesla’s vehicles actually increases when they reach customers hands.

Consequently, it will be interesting to see if buzz about Model Y picks up once the car hits the streets. The Model Y follows in the footsteps of the immensely popular Model 3, but in the popular CUV form factor. As such, it seems everything’s set for a slam dunk for the 2020 Tesla Model Y.