Tesla explains why Model Y Standard has cheaper glass roof

Tesla raised some eyebrows when a Model Y Standard review showed that its cheapest SUV still has a glass roof, just like its more expensive Premium and Performance siblings.

Given that Tesla stripped down everything else flashy and shiny, including the hood light bar or the multi-color ambient lighting to reach the $39,990 price point of the Model Y Standard, this decision stood out.

The initial Model Y Standard price and specs leak turned out credible on every point, and there the Tesla website code listed a "closed glass roof" as coming standard on the base trim. That's exactly what happened, and Tesla calls it "closed" since it is covered with a textile headliner on the inside.

The roof of the vehicle is still glass, though, instead of metal, leaving potential buyers wondering whether they could simply remove the headliner and have a panoramic roof like on the more expensive Model Y trims. Not really, it turns out, as the glass of the Tesla Model Y Standard roof is not transparent and would be opaque to see through both from the inside, and out.

Tesla's chief engineer Lars Moravy said that Tesla still saved a few bucks in manufacturing costs by leaving the Premium's glass roof in place, but removing the laminated silver coating that reflects the infrared spectrum to keep the interior cooler. Since the Model Y Standard has a headliner, it didn't need that, and it also serves as extra HVAC and noise insulation. The silver coating is sometimes not enough to keep the Premium trims cool, so their owners in sunny climates are often getting third-party solutions like the Model Y Sunshade Roof available on Amazon at 30% off, to increase the A/C efficiency.

It was cheaper to assemble the Model Y Standard with the already existing glass roof, too, rather than develop and order a separate metal part anew. Or, as Lars Moravy puts it, the Model Y Standard still comes with a glass roof, albeit opaque, on account of "cost, supply chain and manufacturing efficiency in our factories." Moreover, continued Moravy, a lot of fans wanted a closed roof with a headliner, so Tesla ostensibly delivered what its customers asked for.