Tesla Model Y with 7 seats coming in early Q4, Elon Musk says
Right now, Tesla only builds the five-seat Model Y, but a variant with two extra seats is on the way.
Yes, the Tesla Model Y supports up to seven seats, but for now, the electric carmaker only builds the electric SUV in a five-seat configuration. When will we see the seven-seat model? CEO Elon Musk has spoken, via his usual medium of choice:
Probably early Q4
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2020
The Tesla boss said on Twitter Sunday he expects the seven-seat Model Y to enter production at the beginning of the fourth quarter of this year. That pegs the next Model Y variant to arrive in October -- Q4 starts Oct. 1 and runs through the end of the year.
How Tesla plans to package a production seven-seat Model Y remains to be seen. The Model Y doesn't have a giant footprint, which has led to past speculation that Tesla could install rear-facing seats. That'd provide for more legroom for two passengers in the third row. Years ago, the automaker offered the Model S sedan with a rear-facing seat package to fit two children in the rear of the vehicle, so there's some precedent for this idea.
Right now, however, Tesla is focused on ramping up Model Y production in general. A supposed leaked email from Musk earlier this month said increasing production was an absolute priority and Musk called on the production workforce to minimize any hiccups to keep after-production errors to a minimum. There's been some indication, however, that Model Y demand perhaps isn't as strong as Tesla perceived.
The electric SUV is already part of the automaker's referral program, which Tesla has always said exists to spur demand. The automaker previously shut down its factory in Fremont, California due to local stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic, just as Model Y production began.
