• Tesla's popular Model Y SUV will soon be offered in a cheaper rear-wheel-drive variant.
• The so-called Standard Range model was available earlier in the Model Y's lifecycle but had been discontinued in favor of longer-range all-wheel-drive models.
• Model Y Standard Range models are available to order now on the company's website starting at $45,630 with a driving range as high as 260 miles—$7500 less than an all-wheel drive Long Range with 330 miles of advertised range.

Tesla is bringing back its low-cost Model Y Standard Range rear-wheel-drive model, which is now available to order on the automaker's website. According to a report from Automotive News, the move is a response to lower-than-projected third-quarter vehicle deliveries, and that logic tracks.

Tesla has tweaked the pricing strategy for its lineup consistently throughout the year to compete with a rising tide of fresh EV rivals as well as inflation. Earlier this year, the company also relaunched Standard Range variants of the more expensive Model S sedan and Model X SUV, dropping the price of entry for those luxury vehicles by around $10,000 each. But those models didn't last long and were pulled from the order site a few weeks later, replaced with cheaper variants of all-wheel-drive Long Range models.

Desperate scrambling? Perhaps. Or maybe it's merely the trial-and-error method in action: Throwing options onto an online configurator to see what customers pick. Either way, more affordable EVs aren't a bad thing.

The Standard Range Model Y is available to order now on the Tesla website, with a delivery date range starting as early as this month. Prices start at $45,630 for versions without any options, and the driving range for this model is advertised as high as 260 miles. If you opt for the prettier 20-inch Induction wheels—a $2000 option—the range estimate drops to 242 miles per charge.

Given that the Model 3 compact car that underpins the Model Y is getting a facelift for 2024, we suspect the SUV will get a similar treatment, but that may not happen until the 2025 model year.