Key Takeaways
1. The Tesla Model Y Standard features a glass roof, similar to higher-end models, despite being a budget-friendly option priced at $39,990.
2. The roof is described as “closed” due to the addition of a textile headliner, which makes it opaque and non-transparent.
3. Tesla confirmed the accurate specifications and pricing of the Model Y Standard through leaked information and website code.
4. The decision to keep the glass roof design while removing the reflective coating was a cost-saving measure, providing insulation benefits with the headliner.
5. Customer feedback indicated a preference for a closed roof, leading Tesla to incorporate this design choice in the Model Y Standard.
Tesla caught some attention when a review of the Model Y Standard revealed that this budget-friendly SUV still features a glass roof, similar to its pricier Premium and Performance models.
While Tesla removed many other flashy elements, such as the hood light bar and the multi-color ambient lighting, to hit the $39,990 price tag of the Model Y Standard, this particular choice stood out.
Price and Specs Validation
The leaked information about the Model Y Standard’s price and specifications proved to be accurate, and the code on the Tesla website confirmed the inclusion of a “closed glass roof” as standard for the base model. This is indeed the case, and Tesla refers to it as “closed” because it has a textile headliner on the interior.
However, the roof itself remains glass rather than metal, which has led potential buyers to question if they could just take off the headliner to have a panoramic roof similar to the more expensive versions of the Model Y. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, as the glass roof on the Tesla Model Y Standard is opaque, meaning it can’t be seen through from either inside or outside.
Manufacturing Choices Explained
Lars Moravy, Tesla’s chief engineer, explained that the company managed to cut some manufacturing costs by keeping the Premium’s glass roof design but removing the laminated silver coating that reflects infrared light to help keep the inside cooler. Since the Model Y Standard comes with a headliner, that coating was unnecessary, and the headliner also provides extra HVAC and noise insulation. The silver coating sometimes fails to keep Premium trims cool enough, leading owners in hot climates to seek third-party solutions like the Model Y Sunshade Roof, available on Amazon at a 30% discount, for better A/C performance.
It was more cost-effective to build the Model Y Standard with the existing glass roof rather than create and source a new metal component. As Moravy puts it, the Model Y Standard still has a glass roof, albeit opaque, due to “cost, supply chain, and manufacturing efficiency in our factories.” Additionally, Moravy noted that many fans expressed a desire for a closed roof with a headliner, so Tesla seemingly fulfilled its customers’ requests.
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