Tesla Model Y Beats Audi E-Tron, Others In Electric SUV Buyers’ Choice Poll

When it comes to electric vehicles, it seems Tesla remains on top of its contenders as a recent Twitter poll showed that consumers prefer the Tesla Model Y over other brands even if the crossover SUV is yet to be released commercially.

According to Green Car Reports, who conducted the poll, the Tesla Model Y beat electric SUVs Hyundai Kona Electric, Audi E-Tron and Jaguar I-Pace by getting a whopping 81 percent of the votes. The survey included 2,700 participants and was described by the website as one of the most popular polls it has conducted.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has spoken highly of the latest variant under the electric car brand lineup. Musk believes that the Model Y will be a major player in the burgeoning SUV market in America. He also told Tesla investors that the new SUV will sell better than the popular Model 3 because of its price (it will only be 10 percent more expensive than the sedan).

Tesla’s chief engineer said that they can keep the projected price range by using around 75 percent of the parts used on the Model 3. The price for the base model was pegged at $39,000, but recent reports said the price has now gone up by about a $1,000.

When it comes to power and battery life, the Tesla Model Y can run about 290 to 300 miles of range in favorable conditions. As a crossover SUV, the Model Y looks hauntingly more like a sedan, but it does have a third-row seat option.

The Model Y is definitely racking up some interests that some commenters of the poll actually suggested to cancel Model 3 orders and just wait for the Model Y to be released. The SUV described being a smaller version of the premium Model X, is expected to roll out by 2020.

In comparison, the Hyundai Kona Electric has 258 miles of range but is available only in California and Oregon at the moment. The Jaguar I-Pace, on the other hand, has only 234 miles of estimated range and is a bit costly (running between the price range of the Model Y and the Model X).

Lastly, the Audi e-tron quattro, which got the lowest vote, is not yet available on the market. However, the price projection is already around $80,000 and this could be a big factor among respondents, which is why it only got 6 percent of the total votes.