Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has decided against building the upcoming Model Y on a bespoke platform and will instead use the underpinnings of the Model 3 for the compact SUV.
Earlier this year, Musk said the Model Y would use a new platform and reach production in late 2019 or early 2020. However, during a conference call with analysts today, he revealed that senior management at the company convinced him using the Model 3 architecture is more viable, particularly if the automaker wants to produce the Model Y as soon as possible.
Doing so makes sense, particularly if Tesla wants to capture a segment of the exploding SUV segment. It will also save costs and streamline the research, development and production processes.
Musk envisioned the Model Y’s distinct platform would ditch the company’s existing 12-volt battery architecture while also significantly reducing the amount of wiring and simplifying the production process. Following the decision to use the Model 3 platform, not all of these proposed changes will see the light of day but the chief executive still said he wants to simplify the wiring harness.
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