Tesla started low-volume production of the new Model Y in January, months ahead of schedule, and is now beginning to confirm Model Y deliveries to customers. Buyers from around the country have reported receiving emails from Tesla offering delivery on or after March 15: “Congratulations! Your Model Y is ready for delivery in March 2020.”

As always, Tesla is front-loading revenue by producing higher-end variants first. So far, only buyers of the Performance configuration appear to be receiving the coveted email. One of these is a colleague of ours here in Florida, who made a point of ordering every possible option in hopes of an early delivery.

Tesla isn’t following exactly the same playbook it did with Model 3, however—it never touted the number of pre-orders it received, and it hasn’t said whether it delivered to employee buyers before opening things up to the masses. California car-watchers have reported an increasing number of Model Y sightings, so we know that there are already at least a few on the roads.

Another twist: Tesla has reportedly been telling buyers who ordered the seven-seat configuration that they’ll get their cars sooner if they change to the five-seat version. Does this mean that demand for the seven-seater is low, or that the ramp-up is proceeding so fast that there are more than enough cars to go around?

Who knows? What really matters is how demand will shape up once people start seeing Model Ys on the road, and once the first wave of reviews comes in. Considering Model 3’s success versus legacy sedans, and car buyers’ well-known infatuation with anything called an SUV or crossover, it’s likely to be massive.

Source: Electrek