7 features we'll probably see in Tesla's mysterious 'Model Y' car by Cadie Thompson on Dec 28, 2016, 2:42 PM Advertisement
 Tesla plans to launch its first mass-market car, the Model 3, by the end of 2017. But Tesla also has another important vehicle in the works. In July, Musk confirmed that Tesla plans to bring a new compact SUV to market. This vehicle will be the crossover version of the Model 3 and will be called the Model Y. Tesla has not yet revealed a timeline for the vehicle, but considering a number of other major automakers are planning to roll out electric SUVs by 2020, it's possible Tesla could have a similar timeline. Musk has kept mum on details pertaining to the upcoming SUV, but he has talked generally about features coming to future Tesla vehicles and has talked a lot about the Model Y's sister vehicle, the Model 3. Based on his comments, we pulled together a list of some of the features we'll likely see in Tesla's Model Y. SEE ALSO: Here's the stunning electric car Porsche is making to take on Tesla Falcon-wing doors  In October 2015, Musk posted a tweet suggesting the Model Y could have falcon-wing doors. In a response to a Twitter follower asking if the Model 3 crossover will have falcon-wing doors, Musk said that "there will be a Model 3 and a Model Y. One of the two will." Musk later deleted the tweet. It's worth noting that Musk revealed a prototype of the Model 3 in March and that car did not have falcon-wing doors, so perhaps they will show up on the Model Y, at least as an option.
Solar roof  In November, Musk said via Twitter that Tesla would likely begin to include solar roofs as an option for its cars. Musk didn't share a specific timeline of when to expect the feature, but he did say that it "would probably be an option" on the Model 3. He also said in a follow-up tweet that it wouldn't be too expensive. Musk has been hinting at the possibility of Tesla building cars with solar roofs for some time. After the unveiling of Tesla's solar glass shingles in late October, Musk tweeted that the same glass technology could be used on the roof of a car to act as a defroster. Musk also added that solar glass on a car would be net positive, meaning that it would create more energy than it used to do things like defrost the hood of the vehicle. Given that Musk said a solar-roof option will likely be available for the Model 3, it's likely we'll see it either come standard or as an option on the Model Y.
Fully autonomous driving mode  Tesla cars are known for their semi-autonomous system called Autopilot. But in October, Musk announced he was taking Tesla's self-driving tech to a whole new level with new hardware that enables its newer cars to be completely autonomous. This means the Model S and Model X models produced after October, including the Model 3, will be equipped with the hardware to eventually be fully autonomous. The full self-driving system will cost $8,000 at the time of purchase and include all of the Enhanced Autopilot features. However, it's still not clear yet when Tesla will actually enable full autonomy on its cars for customers. The company states on its website that this will depend on software validation and regulatory approval, which will vary by geographic location. Whenever the Model Y comes out, we can almost certainly expect it to be equipped with the updated hardware. What's more, Tesla may have done enough software validation by then that customers in some parts of the world may even be able to take advantage of the fully autonomous system.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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