Tesla launches its cheapest ever Model Y in the U.S.

Tesla is selling a new variant of the Model Y in the U.S., and it's a bargain.

The new, rear-wheel drive Model Y showed up on Tesla's site overnight, replacing the all-wheel drive version that was discontinued in September. It has a 260 mile range, a top speed of 135 mph, and goes from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds.

The starting price for the RWD Model Y is $43,990, which is $3,750 less than the AWD variant that recently went away. It also qualifies for the $7,500 Federal EV Tax Credit, which brings the price down to $36,490, making it the cheapest Model Y we've seen in the U.S.

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As Teslarati noticed, the new Model Y is available in Mexico and Canada as well.

Unfortunately, this is not the slightly updated Model Y that showed up in China yesterday. That one has new, black wheels and a LED strip inside, while the new, RWD Model Y that went on sale in the U.S. has no observable changes compared to earlier versions.

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SEE ALSO: Tesla launches new Model Y in China, but it's not what you think

There might be one important change inside (besides having one motor less than the AWD variant), however. The new Model Y could be using Tesla's new Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) batteries. These have lower energy density than the standard, Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NBC) cells, but come with the advantage of better durability. In practice, this would means that owners wouldn't have to worry about charging their car to 100 percent; the LFP batteries don't mind and won't degrade because of that.