Tesla just launched a new two-seater but you can only get it in France. The country has specific tax laws that apply to vehicles with four or more seats and a new variation of the Model Y skirts those fees by axing the back seat. Aimed at businesses, this new Model Y also offers more range and could help the nation cut back on diesel emissions.
This news comes straight from a senior account manager for Tesla in France, Clement Maguet. “Tesla has developed a 2-seater Model Y with a storage capacity of 2,158 liters and offering a range of up to 565 km (351 miles) (WLTP cycle). This model is eligible for commercial vehicle taxation,” he said in a post on LinkedIn.
According to Maguet, the nation has roughly 6.3 million utility vehicles rolling around and most run on diesel. He and Tesla hope to see the two-seat Model Y crack into that market. “This ecological and efficient solution offers an additional alternative to professional mobility, whether for the transport of goods or as an intervention vehicle,” he continued.
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Most vehicles in France are subject to a tax of 20 percent. Those with only two or three seats aren’t subject to the same tax rate so this could save a business thousands. This isn’t all that different from the various makes and models that skirt other European tax laws by essentially doing the same thing. Making a utility vehicle out of what would’ve otherwise been a four-seat vehicle is far more commonplace there.
Maguet didn’t announce pricing or availability but he did say that both the long-range and RWD versions will be available with the modification. The range estimate on the long-range is about 30 km (18 miles) higher than in a normal Model Y LR. For the time being, the only way to see the two-seat Model Y is to be in France. It’s going on a tour through the nation between now and July.
This is a clever way for Tesla to expand its footprint into more markets with what is presumably very little additional cost. On top of that, the automaker has already proven that it can build similarly capable utility vehicles out of the Model S here in the USA. Back in 2018, it began using the sedan as a utility vehicle with only two front seats and a sliding rear shelf in place of the rear seats.
