Tesla Cuts Model Y Performance Price A$4,500, but Paint Costs Extra

Tesla has lowered the Australian Model Y Performance price by A$4,500, bringing the flagship electric SUV to A$84,900 before on-road costs. The MY27 saving comes with a qualification: paint that was previously included now adds between A$1,500 and A$2,600, potentially absorbing more than half of the reduction.

Orders for the updated range opened on October 24, 2026, with deliveries scheduled to begin later in the month. The Performance price change accompanies a production shift for Australian vehicles from Tesla’s Berlin factory to its Shanghai plant, linking the lower sticker price to a change in manufacturing source rather than a stripped-out new base variant.

That distinction is visible in the options structure. A buyer choosing a A$1,500 paint finish retains a net A$3,000 reduction compared with the previous included-paint price. A A$2,600 finish reduces the effective saving to A$1,900, before considering on-road costs. Glacier Blue exterior paint and a Zen Grey interior have joined the available choices.

No cheaper entry-level Model Y

Tesla has not lowered the Australian Model Y’s entry price. The rear-wheel-drive Model Y Premium remains A$58,900 before on-road costs, even as Tesla introduces a base Model 3 that cuts the sedan’s entry price by A$9,000.

The two mid-range Model Y versions also retain their existing prices. The Premium Long Range All-Wheel Drive remains A$68,900, while the six-seat L Premium All-Wheel Drive stays at A$74,900. Their change is in claimed acceleration rather than cost.

Both models cut 0.5 second from their previous claimed zero-to-100-kilometre-per-hour times. Tesla now quotes 4.3 seconds for the Premium Long Range All-Wheel Drive and 4.5 seconds for the larger L Premium. Those are measurable specification gains, although no corresponding range, motor-output or hardware changes were detailed.

External power expands across the range

The other range-wide change is the expansion of Tesla’s Power Share vehicle-to-load function to every MY27 Model Y variant. According to the Australian government’s guidance on vehicle-to-everything technology, vehicle-to-load systems use an EV battery to power individual appliances or equipment, including tools at a worksite or campsite.

For Model Y owners, however, access to the function requires a separately purchased adapter. No adapter price, supported output or operating-duration specification was provided, so the practical value will depend on the equipment an owner wants to run and the limits Tesla assigns to the system.

Vehicle-to-load should also be separated from vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid operation. The latter systems connect a vehicle to household electrical infrastructure or export energy to the wider network, requiring compatible charging equipment and other controls. The MY27 announcement establishes external-load capability through an adapter; it does not specify whole-home backup or grid export.

The updated lineup therefore delivers three different kinds of change. Performance buyers receive a lower starting price, partly offset when they select paid paint. The two mid-range versions gain quicker claimed acceleration without price increases. Every variant gains access to external-equipment power, but only after the owner buys the required adapter.

The largest headline number remains the A$4,500 Performance reduction. Once paint is configured, the retained saving narrows to between A$1,900 and A$3,000 an important boundary around an otherwise substantial model-year price cut.

By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.