Tesla's quickest SUV has almost exhausted its first allocation for local showrooms, now sourced from Germany rather than China at a higher price.
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The updated Tesla Model Y Performance has hit the ground running in Australia after the better part of a year out of showrooms.
Drive has been told more than half of the unspecified initial allocation of Model Y Performance SUVs – all due in showrooms by the end of this year – have been spoken for within days of orders opening.
Tesla has not confirmed the information. A brand representative declined to comment when contacted by Drive, and could not advise how many examples are due on local shores by the end of this year.
The Tesla website continues to show that buyers who order today can expect delivery between December 2025 and February 2026, pending any delays.
Order books for the latest Model Y Performance opened in Australia on Friday, September 5, priced from $89,400 plus on-road costs – $6500 more than its RRP in pre-update form at the start of this year.
It is $20,500 more expensive than the Model Y Long Range, rather than the $16,000 gap between the Model 3 Long Range and Performance sedans.
It is likely due in part to the flagship grade being sourced from Tesla's plant in Berlin, Germany – rather than Shanghai, China, as with the rest of the range – incurring higher production and shipping costs.
The Model Y Performance does not incur an import tariff usually associated with European-made cars, as it is an electric vehicle priced below the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold ($91,387) and is therefore exempt.
That also ensures it can take advantage of a Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption when purchased under a novated lease, a program that has cost the Federal Government much more than anticipated, but has helped drive sales of electric cars.
The Performance accounted for 3.2 per cent of Tesla Model Y sales last year, according to Electric Vehicle Council, compared to about 17 per cent for the Long Range, and more than 79 per cent for the Rear-Wheel Drive.
It amounts to 672 examples of the flagship grade out of 21,253 Model Y deliveries for the year.
The latest model combines the upgraded performance hardware of the newest Model 3 Performance sedan with the revised exterior, interior, and features of the standard updated Model Y, reportedly codenamed 'Juniper'.
Dual electric motors deliver a claimed 343kW, though overseas reports have estimated the maximum power the battery can supply at closer to more than 400kW.
Tesla claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.5 seconds, 0.2sec quicker than the previous model, towards a 250km/h top speed.
Driving range in European WLTP testing is rated at 580km, up from 514km, thanks to aerodynamic tweaks and a new battery believed to offer an 82.1kWh usable capacity, up from 78.4kWh.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
