Why is the model Y the red headed step child of Tesla?

[Fourdoor]

Looks to me like the Model Y out sold the model 3 for 2021 so riddle me this batman:

Why don't we have track mode for the MYP?

and (much more important)

Why don't we have a 1:18 scale die cast model? You can get models of Teslas that don't even exist (Roadster, Semi) but no die cast model of the Model Y? I bet you that the cybertruck gets one before we do!

Keith

PS: Yes, this is mostly a joke but it does make you think...

 

[jjrandorin]

Why no track mode? Because tesla has likely decided either that anyone who is actually going to track the car would buy a model 3 to do so, and / or, , they are not comfortable with how it would actually perform on a track with that mode. The car doesnt drive that great from a "drivers car" point of view, so it doesnt surprise me in the least its not there.


(this is said as an owner of a model 3 performance and a model Y performance, who also had a X3 M40 before that with an adaptive suspension that you actually could have driven on a track if you wanted to).

Note that I really like the model Y we got for my wife to replace her X3. Its more comfortable to drive in than my model 3 for longer drives, the seating position is nice, etc, however I would never categorize it for carving back roads etc. I drive my wifes model Y when I am going to be cruising, or sitting on the freeway. I drive my model 3 when I want to "drive".

Why no die cast model? Those models are marketing, and the model Y doesnt need any more marketing (lol). Tesla is talking about stopping orders for it, its selling so well and they are so far out. Couple that with supply chain issues for "everything" and its not surprising.

I know you said your post was mostly a joke, but I am not responding as if it was a joke, but a real question (with my real opinions). Of course, they are just opinions, I have no inside knowledge on this topic.

 

[Fourdoor]

Why no die cast model? Those models are marketing, and the model Y doesnt need any more marketing (lol). Tesla is talking about stopping orders for it, its selling so well and they are so far out. Couple that with supply chain issues for "everything" and its not surprising.

Honest question here, it is my understanding that Tesla no longer even has a marketing department, did the majority of the "lifestyle" products originate back when they still had a marketing department? Are any new "lifestyle" products going to be developed from ideas directly from Elon? I would bet that the 1:18 scale model of the Model Y was one of the lifestyle products that was in the development pipeline before the marketing department was dissolved.

Keith

 

[Daekwan]

And why does the MYP only get matrix LED lights. It comes on all versions of the Model 3

 

[jjrandorin]

Honest question here, it is my understanding that Tesla no longer even has a marketing department, did the majority of the "lifestyle" products originate back when they still had a marketing department? Are any new "lifestyle" products going to be developed from ideas directly from Elon? I would bet that the 1:18 scale model of the Model Y was one of the lifestyle products that was in the development pipeline before the marketing department was dissolved.

Keith

I think those die cast models came about back then but not sure if its related. Tesla seems like a company where everything has to get elons sign off anyway so not having a marketing department just might mean no one internally asks for these anymore.

They have new lifestyle products since the marketing department went away though. I am fairly certain (but not positive) that the tequila came about after the marketing department went away (but could have been in the works before, obviously). The tesla texas belt buckle came about afterwards, I am pretty sure.

The wireless portable charger, I am fairly sure came about after that as well, so I dont think there is a tie in there to no marketing department as a reason for the die cast model Y not existing.

 

[gx9901]

Yeah, I want a track mode for my MYP (mostly so I can dial up my own snow mode) and the 1:18 diecast MY model, dammit!

I recently saw a "My first Tesla Model Y" in the Tesla web shop (gone now, but available elsewhere), which I would definitely buy if my son was 2, so I don't know why they wouldn't do a diecast model of the MY.

 

[Whtrbt7]

Do we really want a Track mode on the model Y? As a crossover it seems like it wouldn’t be a great idea but maybe I’m wrong. I think TCS, roll mode, entertainment off, and max battery usage is turned on. I don’t think it’s that different and you would have faster track times if you left track mode off.

 

[schen72]

I couldn't care less about having track mode. Even though my MYLR is the fastest car I've ever owned, for some perverse reason, I enjoy driving slow and using as little Wh as possible.

 

[Yelobird]

The only thing that interests me less then a match box car is track mode. My guess is 99% of Y owners rarely consider drag racing a family SUV as fun or cool. If Tesla gains even 1 spare hour in the year to focus on building better cars vs toys or TM that would be time we’ll spent.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

SUV not really ideal for track use, so I'm ok with that one.

Model Y gets a hatch and other perks missing on the M3...

 

[blinkme323]

If the MYP is really meant to even semi-compete with the X3M, Stelvio Quad, etc. of the world, then it should absolutely have a track mode. All "P" models should have it actually. LR and below, I totally get the omission.

 

[E90alex]

And why does the MYP only get matrix LED lights. It comes on all versions of the Model 3

Those of us waiting for a Model 3 are having issues with that at the moment. They’re reverting to non-matrix headlights randomly presumably due to supply issues.

 

[BMWY]

It's hard to take this car seriously in the performance CUV segment (which is squarely where the MYP sits) without a track mode.

My guess is that track mode was held back once 4680 development began and will be a "feature" once 4680 gets rolled out en masse.

 

[Daniel L]

It's hard to take this car seriously in the performance CUV segment (which is squarely where the MYP sits) without a track mode.

My guess is that track mode was held back once 4680 development began and will be a "feature" once 4680 gets rolled out en masse.

I don't recall ever seeing a performance CUV at track events I've attended

 

[Fourdoor]

Do we really want a Track mode on the model Y? As a crossover it seems like it wouldn’t be a great idea but maybe I’m wrong. I think TCS, roll mode, entertainment off, and max battery usage is turned on. I don’t think it’s that different and you would have faster track times if you left track mode off.

Track mode is not mandatory, you don't have to turn it on if you don't want it. I like being able to customize anything I own, so having track mode where I can set up various use case profiles and have fun with the car would be a plus. For someone who doesn't care, they never have to activate it. Sort of like the ability to customize the paint color on your car avatar on the screen... I find that silly and a waste of time so I don't use it, but the people who like it are welcome to it. Tesla as a company wastes more time on the annual winter light show than they would spend giving us track mode.

Keith

 

[jjrandorin]

I don't recall ever seeing a performance CUV at track events I've attended

The only one I saw it at is the BMW performance driving school thing I attended. Not like I am a track junkie, only been a handful of times, but that BMW drivers school was the only place I saw one at a track. We drove X5Ms in an up and back format. The X3M didnt exist yet, only the M40i version of the X3.

I do find "hard to take this car seriously in the segment without track mode" fairly strange though, since its faster than pretty much all the cars mentioned against it in any way that actually matters (and almost no one is actually going to actually take these on a track).

 

[BMWY]

The only one I saw it at is the BMW performance driving school thing I attended. Not like I am a track junkie, only been a handful of times, but that BMW drivers school was the only place I saw one at a track. We drove X5Ms in an up and back format. The X3M didnt exist yet, only the M40i version of the X3.

I do find "hard to take this car seriously in the segment without track mode" fairly strange though, since its faster than pretty much all the cars mentioned against it in any way that actually matters (and almost no one is actually going to actually take these on a track).

I took my X3Mc to the track at least 20-30 times. It was not at all uncommon to see other X3Ms, Macan GTS or a litany of other performance CUVs at these events. Times have changed...

 

[Whtrbt7]

Track mode is not mandatory, you don't have to turn it on if you don't want it. I like being able to customize anything I own, so having track mode where I can set up various use case profiles and have fun with the car would be a plus. For someone who doesn't care, they never have to activate it. Sort of like the ability to customize the paint color on your car avatar on the screen... I find that silly and a waste of time so I don't use it, but the people who like it are welcome to it. Tesla as a company wastes more time on the annual winter light show than they would spend giving us track mode.

Keith

It’s true that it isn’t mandatory. What I’m saying is that track mode doesn’t really decrease lap times and the simulated TCS drift ability isn’t really used as a method to increase the overall speed. It’s more efficient for the MYP to use its weight and be more grippy to achieve better cornering speed. Tesla would have to invest more time and money into making drifting more viable on a MYP in order to get more performance out of the car. Track mode just seems more of a gimmick right now.

 

[Daekwan]

Since when is being on an actual racetrack necessary for track mode? Hell, the vast majority of performance cars with "track mode" never see a race track during their entire lifetime. The idea is this 'expert' modes allow you to turn off as many nannies as possible and have some freaking fun. Not everybody wants to drive a robot.

Stop apologizing for Tesla. It's a Performance car and heavily advertised as such. It should come with a high-performance mode where it's allowed to cut loose more than the non-Performance variants. Hell one of the first thing I did after buying my Vette was turn off the traction control and get it sideways coming out the driveway. Huge.. huge smile afterward.

 

[Whtrbt7]

Since when is being on an actual racetrack necessary for track mode? Hell, the vast majority of performance cars with "track mode" never see a race track during their entire lifetime. The idea is this 'expert' modes allow you to turn off as many nannies as possible and have some freaking fun. Not everybody wants to drive a robot.

Stop apologizing for Tesla. It's a Performance car and heavily advertised as such. It should come with a high-performance mode where it's allowed to cut loose more than the non-Performance variants. Hell one of the first thing I did after buying my Vette was turn off the traction control and get it sideways coming out the driveway. Huge.. huge smile afterward.

I agree that you don’t have to be on a track to use “track mode”. There is also a huge difference between a Corvette and a Model Y. They work really differently. There is the Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Stability Control System or Electronic Stability Control (SCS/ESC), Advance Driving Assistance System (ADAS) for things like launch control and autonomous controls. Some cars allow you to turn off TCS, ABS, and ESC. The issue with these on an EV compared to an ICE vehicle are due to the drivetrain differences and also how they use them. Without TCS and ESC on a Tesla, the wheels don’t know how much power needs to be sent to maintain stability or traction. On something like the Model S Plaid with over 1000 BHP, you could just be spinning the wheels and not getting enough friction to grab the road and go. On traditional ICE vehicles that are RR, MR, or FF, power is only getting sent to the rear wheels or the front wheels in a very analog fashion. AWD and 4WD need specific mechanical or electronic system to regulate which wheels need power. On an EV, the AWD needs to do all of this digitally so there is not analog method. Teslas depend on TCS, ESC, and ABS to regulate its acceleration and braking. Track mode still has these features on but tweak them to feel “looser”. While Tesla could potentially do a higher initial torque, without the TCS, you’ll end up spinning out. It’s one of the reasons why a Model S Plaid has a crazy time for the Nurburgring straight out of the factory with no track mode turned on. While I admit, it’s really fun to drive without any of the systems on an ICE vehicle, doing so on an EV would be a lot more difficult.