The 2022 to 2024 Tesla Model Y is one of the most versatile used EVs in New Zealand. Here's why we love it as a family car, a personal car, and a rideshare workhorse, plus a guide to the variants.

Some cars are good at one job. The Tesla Model Y is one of those rare vehicles that is genuinely good at several. Over the 2022 to 2024 model years, it became one of the best-selling vehicles in the world, and once you spend some time with one it is easy to understand why. It works brilliantly as a family car, it is a superb personal daily driver, and it has quietly become one of the most popular rideshare vehicles on New Zealand roads. That versatility is exactly why we love recommending them.

Here is our honest take on the 2022 to 2024 Model Y, what makes it such a strong all-rounder, and how the different variants stack up.

The quick version

The Model Y is a compact five-seat SUV built on the same platform as the Model 3, but taller, roomier, and more practical. For the 2022 to 2024 period, it sits in a sweet spot for used buyers in New Zealand: mature, well-understood technology, strong real-world range, access to the Tesla Supercharger network, and running costs low enough to make it a genuine tool for earning money as well as a comfortable family vehicle.

It is not perfect, and we will be honest about the quirks. But as an all-round package, very little else in the used market matches it.

The variants: which Model Y is which?

One of the first things to understand when shopping for a used Model Y is which variant you are looking at, because the differences genuinely matter depending on how you plan to use the car. Across the 2022 to 2024 years, the New Zealand market saw three main configurations.

Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD)

The entry point to the range, and a genuinely excellent all-rounder. A single motor drives the rear wheels, delivering a smooth and efficient drive with a WLTP range in the region of 455 to 466km depending on the exact year and build. The RWD variant typically uses LFP battery chemistry, which has a real advantage for high-mileage and rideshare use: LFP batteries can be charged to 100% every day without the same long-term wear concerns that apply to other chemistries. For city driving, commuting, and rideshare work, the RWD is often the smart, sensible choice.

Long Range AWD

The all-rounder that most people consider the sweet spot of the range. Dual motors provide all-wheel drive traction and a WLTP range of up to around 533km, along with noticeably stronger acceleration, with 0 to 100km/h in roughly 5 seconds. The Long Range uses NCA battery chemistry, generally charged to 80 to 90% for daily use to look after the battery. If you regularly travel longer distances, tow, or simply want the extra range and traction for New Zealand conditions, the Long Range AWD is widely regarded as the best balance of range, performance, and everyday usability.

Performance

The range-topper for those who want genuine sports-car acceleration. It adds even more power, a lower and sportier suspension setup, larger wheels, and a higher top speed, with 0 to 100km/h dropping to around the 3.5 second mark. The trade-off is a slightly firmer ride and marginally reduced range compared to the Long Range. It is a genuinely rapid family SUV, and enormous fun, though for most buyers the Long Range delivers the better all-round balance.

A note on year-by-year changes. The 2022 to 2024 cars are broadly similar mechanically, which is part of what makes them such a well-understood used buy. 2022 saw the base and Standard Range variants expand, with LFP chemistry in the entry trims. 2023 was largely a carryover year with running improvements and continued huge production volumes. 2024 was the final year before the "Juniper" facelift arrived in 2025, so pre-facelift 2024 cars are common, mature, and mechanically well-sorted. An optional third row was available on some Long Range cars, though it is genuinely small and best suited to children, so if you specifically need it, confirm the individual car actually has it fitted.

Why it is a brilliant family car

Families take to the Model Y quickly, and for good reason.

Space and practicality.

The Model Y is deceptively large inside. The flat floor, the absence of a transmission tunnel, and the tall roofline create a genuinely roomy cabin with excellent headroom front and rear. The boot is enormous, with a deep under-floor storage well, and there is a front trunk (a "frunk") as well, giving you two separate luggage areas. Fold the rear seats and you have a flat load space big enough for flat-pack furniture, bikes, or a serious airport run.

The glass roof.

The full panoramic glass roof makes the cabin feel bright and open, and kids love it. It is one of those features that sounds like a gimmick until you live with it.

Safety. The Model Y carries strong independent safety credentials, with the low-mounted battery giving it a very low centre of gravity that improves stability and reduces rollover risk. Combined with Tesla's suite of driver assistance features, it is a reassuring car to put your family in. Always check the specific safety rating and features on the individual vehicle.

The technology that actually helps.

The large central touchscreen handles everything, and while it takes a short adjustment period, most families find it becomes second nature fast. Sentry mode keeps an eye on the car when parked, the phone-as-a-key feature means the kids can never lock the keys inside, and the Tesla app lets you precondition the cabin to a comfortable temperature before you even walk out the door. On a frosty Auckland or Christchurch morning, setting the car to warm and defrost itself while you get the kids ready is a genuine everyday luxury.

The drive. Smooth, quiet, and effortless. The instant torque makes it easy and safe to merge and overtake, the ride is comfortable, and the refinement on a longer motorway trip is excellent. It is a calm, relaxing car to cover distance in, which matters when you have a carful of family.

Why it is a superb personal daily driver

Even without a family to haul around, the Model Y shines as a personal car.

The running costs are the headline. Charging at home overnight works out to a small fraction of the cost of petrol, and with far fewer moving parts than a combustion car, there are no oil changes, no timing belts, and no exhaust systems to worry about. Servicing is minimal and straightforward.

The Supercharger access is a genuine advantage. Teslas have seamless access to New Zealand's growing Supercharger network, which remains one of the most reliable and easy-to-use fast charging networks in the country. You pull up, plug in, and it just works, with billing handled automatically through your Tesla account. For road trips, this ease of charging is a real quality-of-life benefit.

And it is simply a lovely thing to drive every day. Quick, quiet, refined, and packed with technology that genuinely makes daily life easier. For a lot of owners, the Model Y is the car that finally made them stop thinking about cars, because it just quietly does everything they need.

Why it is one of the best rideshare vehicles in NZ

Here is where the Model Y does something most family SUVs cannot: it can genuinely pay for itself. The Model Y has become a hugely popular choice for Uber and rideshare drivers across New Zealand, and the reasons are worth understanding whether you are a driver yourself or just curious about why you see so many of them.

The running-cost maths works. For a rideshare driver covering serious kilometres every week, the single biggest ongoing cost in a petrol car is fuel. Replacing that with cheap overnight home charging transforms the economics. Lower running costs and minimal servicing mean more of every fare stays in the driver's pocket. This is the fundamental reason EVs, and the Model Y in particular, have taken off in the rideshare world.

It qualifies for the premium Uber tiers. A Tesla Model Y qualifies for Uber's higher-value ride categories, including Uber Comfort and the electric and Green options, not just standard UberX. Qualifying for these premium electric tiers reduces the share of basic low-paying rides and lifts a driver's effective earnings. The Model Y's space also makes it well suited to carrying passengers with luggage.

Passengers love it. Riders increasingly expect a modern, quiet, comfortable vehicle, and the Model Y delivers exactly that. The smooth, silent ride, the spacious rear seats, the clean modern interior, and the phone charging all add up to a premium passenger experience that earns better ratings. A happy passenger is a good tip and a five-star rating.

The LFP battery advantage for high mileage. This is where variant choice matters for rideshare. The RWD Model Y's LFP battery can be charged to 100% daily without the wear concerns of other chemistries, which suits the high-mileage, charge-every-night rhythm of rideshare work perfectly. For a driver, an RWD Model Y is often the ideal tool.

Durability. Real-world data from high-mileage rideshare Teslas has been genuinely impressive, with drivers reporting hundreds of thousands of kilometres covered with the drivetrain and battery holding up well. For a vehicle you intend to work hard, that track record matters.

The dual-purpose appeal is the clever part. A Model Y can be your comfortable family car during the week and evenings, and earn you money on rideshare in your spare hours, all while costing a fraction of a petrol car to run. Very few vehicles can genuinely wear both hats as well as this one.

The honest quirks to know about

We always give you the straight story, so here are the things worth knowing before you buy a 2022 to 2024 Model Y.

Early build quality could be uneven. Panel gaps, paint, and rear hatch alignment were not always perfect on early cars. None of this affects how the car drives or lasts, but it is worth inspecting on any individual vehicle. A good pre-purchase inspection covers this.

The touchscreen-only interface takes adjustment. Almost everything is controlled through the central screen, including things like mirror and wiper adjustment. Most owners adapt within a week and never think about it again, but if you are coming from a button-heavy car, give yourself a short settling-in period.

Check the heat pump recall was done. There was an over-the-air recall campaign on 2021 to 2022 cars where a heat pump valve could stick and affect cabin heating in cold weather. It is fixed via a software update, so simply confirm the update was applied and that the climate system heats and cools properly on your test drive.

Ride firmness on the Performance. The Performance variant's sportier suspension and larger wheels give a firmer ride. If comfort is your priority, the Long Range or RWD will suit you better.

Confirm the small stuff on a test drive. As with any used EV, verify the touchscreen, cameras, and power tailgate all work, and check the battery health. These are all quick to confirm and give real peace of mind.

Which one should you buy?

For rideshare or high-mileage city use: the RWD is often the smart pick, thanks to its efficiency and the LFP battery you can charge to 100% every day.

For families and all-round use: the Long Range AWD is the widely acknowledged sweet spot, with the best balance of range, traction, and everyday usability.

For driving enthusiasts: the Performance delivers genuine sports-car pace in a practical family SUV body, if you can live with the slightly firmer ride.

Whichever you choose, the 2022 to 2024 Model Y represents one of the most versatile and genuinely useful used EV purchases available in New Zealand today.

The bottom line

We love the Tesla Model Y because it refuses to be just one thing. It is a spacious, safe, technology-packed family SUV. It is a refined, cheap-to-run personal daily driver. And it is one of the smartest rideshare vehicles on the road, capable of genuinely paying its own way. That combination of comfort, capability, low running costs, and versatility is rare, and it is exactly why the Model Y has become such a well-loved car in New Zealand.

Interested in a Tesla Model Y?

Browse our current stock of pre-owned electric vehicles at gvi.kiwi, or call our team on 0800 443 684 to talk about the Model Y or any of our EV range. Whether you want it as a family car, a daily driver, a rideshare earner, or all three, we are happy to help you find the right variant. We offer nationwide delivery, remote purchase, and AA-appraised peace of mind on every vehicle we sell.

Disclaimer

The content in this post is based on our own research, experience, and publicly available specifications and is intended for general informational purposes only. Range figures, specifications, variant availability, and features vary by model year, individual build, and specification, and real-world range depends on driving conditions, load, and climate. Rideshare earnings and eligibility depend on the platform's current requirements and are outside our control. Always confirm the exact details, battery health, and condition of any individual vehicle, and arrange a pre-purchase inspection, before making a purchasing decision. Nothing in this post constitutes financial advice.

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