The rear brake system of Tesla Model Y performance version has been reduced
Back in September of last year, ZEVcentric claims that one of his customers received a Model Y Performance that had been replaced with smaller rear brake calipers. Some people in the comments section also responded to receiving Model Y calipers that had been replaced.As we took delivery of our 2023 Model Y last month. At some point Tesla decided to put caliper covers on the Performance Y. What does that mean? It's a smaller caliper and a smaller rotor which is the same on LR. So now you are just paying for the same brakes just red. pic.twitter.com/FXinpySrTu
— ZEVcentric (@ZEVcentric) January 8, 2023
— omg_Tesla/Rivian (@omg_tesla) January 8, 2023
ZEVcentric's research shows that the Model Y Performance he received not only has smaller calipers, but also smaller rotors than before. Whereas the previous Model Y Performance had Brembo front and rear calipers, the rear calipers are now Mando.
ZEVcentric has confirmed that the brake pads are smaller and are now the same as the pads on the Model Y LR. They were also able to confirm that the rotors on the Performance are 2mm thicker compared to the LR, so this appears to be the only difference in brake components between the Model Y LR and the Performance.
Now the comment section is divided into two schools of thought, one believes that the brakes are to supplement regenerative braking, because Tesla drivers rarely use the brakes. And the other faction believes that this is clearly a move by Tesla to reduce costs.
According to other owners in Europe who replied to ZEVcentric on Twitter, Model Y Performance cars made at Giga Berlin still feature Brembo rear brakes.
There are no brake test results for the Model Y performance version with the smaller caliper replacement, so it's not certain if it will affect its braking performance. But larger calipers will obviously result in better heat dissipation and later arrival of heat decay.
The incident has not yet received a response from Tesla or Musk, but judging from the responses in the comments section, it is possible that Tesla has replaced the rear brake system on the recently delivered Model Y Performance. Although Tesla has recently reduced the price, from the previously missing data transmission chip to the canceled radar, and now the shrunken rear brake system, it is inevitable that consumers will question whether Tesla will reduce the quality of its products in places that consumers cannot see in order to reduce costs.
