Tesla Says Model Y AWD Is "Most Efficient Electric SUV Ever Built"

The efficiency rating listed by Tesla is not accurate, but it doesn't change the fact the Model Y is the most efficient electric SUV.

Tesla Model Y (Quicksilver)

Dan Mihalascu

By: Dan Mihalascu

May 2, 2023 at 5:56am ET

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Tesla may not have an official public relations department, but its official Twitter account has been acting like one ever since Elon Musk took over the social media platform.

Tesla has been ramping its activities on Twitter in recent months, posting more news about the company and its products and features, as well as its achievements.

In a recent tweet, the EV maker flexes its muscles about the Model Y AWD, calling it "the most efficient electric SUV ever built." The tweet is accompanied by a ranking of the most efficient AWD electric SUVs on sale in the US based on their EPA ratings.

The Tesla Model Y AWD tops the chart with an efficiency rating of 4 miles per kilowatt-hour, significantly higher than the Volkswagen ID.4's 3.2 miles/kWh, the Ford Mustang Mach-E's 3.1 miles/kWh, Jaguar I-Pace's 2.7 miles/kWh, and Audi e-tron's 2.6 miles/kWh.

Looking at the most recent ratings on EPA's website, though, the most efficient 2023 model-year Tesla Model Y variant is rated at 3.6 miles/kWh (28 kWh/100 miles).

While that doesn't fundamentally change the validity of Tesla's tweet – the Model Y remains the most efficient electric AWD SUV – it shows that Tesla was wrong to list the Model Y AWD with an efficiency rating of 4 miles/kWh.

The thing is there is a Model Y variant that almost hits 4 miles/kWh according to EPA ratings, but it's not listed in Tesla's online configurator at the moment – the 2022 Model Y RWD with 3.8 miles/kWh.

Interestingly, Tesla might soon have an even more efficient Model Y on sale in the United States, the new LFP battery-powered Model Y Standard Range RWD launched in Canada recently.

With a smaller battery pack, the new version could be more efficient than the previous RWD trim, although LFP battery cells are heavier. We'll know for sure if that's the case when the official numbers come out.

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Needless to say, all the efficiency figures above are according to the EPA test cycle, which means that real-world values are generally lower.

That doesn't change the fact Tesla makes the most efficient electric SUV on sale today and the most efficient SUV period seeing as electric SUVs are way more efficient than their internal combustion engine-powered counterparts.

Check out these Tesla Model Y range tests

Watch This Tesla Model Y Performance From Germany Get Range Tested