Tesla’s global best-selling SUV has just become even more practical: it’s now available with seven seats.

The Model Y, which became the first EV to top the global sales chart with over 1.3million units sold in 2023, is now available as a seven-seater if you buy the Long Range All-Wheel Drive version.

The Long Range AWD Y starts from £51,990. However, the additional third row will cost an extra £2,500.

The Model Y, which became the first EV to top the global sales chart with over 1.3m units sold in 2023, is now available as a seven-seater if you buy the Long Range All-Wheel Drive version

The third row is easily accessible thanks to the ingress buttons located on the backrest of each second row outside seat. You manoeuvre the seats forward and backwards and fold them to let passengers can step in and out without hindrance

The seven-seater option is only available on the Long-Range All Wheel Drive variant and promises to give families extra versatility.

The third row with two forward-facing seats (which fold flat for maximum storage), will be easily accessible thanks to the sliding back row which also folds fully flat.

Press the ingress buttons located on the backrest of each second row outside seat and you can manoeuvre the seats to let passengers can step in and out without hindrance.

Telsa says the third row passengers also have comfortable headroom thanks to their positioning under the rear glass and there are two USB-C outlets to charge mobile devices as well.

Also useful for lugging more cargo, the Model Y seven-seater has 2,040 litres of space to play with.

EVs don’t have a front engine or rear fuel tank, so in this Model Y there’s space for 117 litres of storage under the front hood (frunk) and 363 litres behind the third row.

Tesla says that even with all seven passengers seated comfortably you’ll be able to fit two carry-on suitcases in the trunk and two large bags in the frunk.

Fold the third row flat and use the Model Y as a five-seater and you get 753 litres – enough to fit strollers, scooters, or folding beds.

The Y can also tow 1,600kg – a small caravan or a two-birth horse trailer.

The Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive has a combined range of 373 miles WLTP (down to 351 if you get the 19-inch standard wheels) and can charge up to 250k

The Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive has a combined range of 331 miles WLTP (up to 351 if you get the 19-inch standard wheels) and can charge up to 250kW.

On the Tesla Supercharger network (the Model Y comes with full access as with all Teslas) you can get up to 200 miles of charge in just 15 minutes.

The seven-seater Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive will start from £54,490.

It follows on from the new Model Y cabin configuration follows on from the launch of the new Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y earlier this month.

Replacing the old Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y model with a long-range version, the new rear wheel drive Model Y can manage 373 miles of range and will start from £46,990.

TESLA MODEL Y’S 7-SEAT EV RIVALS – WHO ARE THEY?1. Peugeot e-5008 – from £48,550

Peugeot’s new e-5008 not only offers seven seats, but it also offers impressive range. Currently there’s the 310-mile range option to buy but there’s a 415-mile version coming start of 2025.

It’s expensive, especially for a Peugeot, costing from £48,550 and going up to the £52,350 (prices of the longer range model are yet to be released) but you get a lot of practicality for that price.

The modular seating allows you to move the second row, and tilt it to allow easy access to the third row and it’s very spacious in the third row – six footers can easily fit.

It’s also pretty premium for a Peugeot with a surprisingly luxury recycled interior.

2. Kia EV9 – from £65,025

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Another seven-seater but this time from South-Korean brand Kia.

The flagship EV9 has second-row swivel seats which as the name suggests swivel round so second row passengers can face towards their third-row friends.

The long range version can manage up to 349 miles and ultra-fast charging gives 154 miles in 15 minutes.

The EV9 is a luxury seven-seater and has a price tag to match; it costs from £65,025 and goes up to at least £77,025.

3. Mercedes EQB – from £55,000

Part of the ever-growing EQ family, the Mercedes EQB is the seven-seater electric offering that’s practical and competitively priced.

Although it costs at least £55,000 new, used prices can be as low as £30,000 which gets you a premium EV from a luxury German marque for hatchback for a considerable saving.

As well as flexible seating for seven – the seats slide forward for better access – there’s a 495-litre boot and there’s space under the bonnet for charging cables.

The range is good but not class-leading, with up to 321 miles the longest range possible. It does charge to 100kW, but this is also not as good as some rivals.

4. Mercedes EQS SUV – from £129,470

The EQS is the flagship Mercedes EV, and the SUV also hits that top-end price point as it starts from £129,470 and goes all the way up to an eye-watering £200,860

This is in a very different seven-seater than the others. Not only because it is a limousine-like SUV, but because of its price point.

The EQS is the flagship Mercedes EV, and the SUV also hits that top-end price point as it starts from £129,470 and goes all the way up to an eye-watering £200,860.

Thanks to the unusual shape of the car, the interior is vast, and it is as luxury as you’d expect, coming with a hyperscreen as standard.

The second row can slide all the way back, and the third-row seats can fit adult passengers in if the second-row occupants aren’t wanting to stretch out.

The EQS SUV can mange up to 346 miles on a single charge.

5. Volvo EX90 – from £96,255

The Volvo EX90 has a WLTP range of 374 miles, which is impressive, and it can ultra-rapid charge up to 250kW, giving you 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes

The long-awaited EX90 is Volvo’s luxury offering to those families needing seven seats.

As per Volvo the style and interior quality are worth the luxury price tag, and it’s well designed for third row access.

Third-row seats fold electronically, and drop into the floor, and you can slide the middle row to allow for extra room.

The four-wheel drive car has a WLTP range of 374 miles, which is impressive, and it can ultra-rapid charge up to 250kW, giving you 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

It is an expensive option though, costing at least £96,255 on launch.

VW ID.Buzz – from £58,915

A left field choice but the VW ID.Buzz, although technically a van, is a fun family option for seven-seat life.

It’s comfort, quiet, fun to drive and is amazingly practical.

There are three rows which offer six and seven seat configurations and is as good for family days out as it is to go surfing with. And as a van, access with the sliding doors isn’t even slightly an issue.

The boot is best in class, with a huge 1,121 litres and you can get an optional board that makes the boot into two layers.

Range however isn’t great with only 258 miles on a single charge and it’s expensive – costing from