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Yujie Xue

Daniel Ren

Tesla will introduce a longer, six-seat version of its popular Model Y SUV in China, a strategic move aimed at reclaiming market share in the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market amid increasing competition from domestic rivals.
The new variant, dubbed the Model Y L, is set to debut this autumn, the US EV giant announced on Chinese social media on Wednesday, in a post that read, “Model Y L, see you in the autumn!”
Although the company has yet to disclose specific vehicle information, the new model is close to 5 metres in length with a wheelbase of 3.04 metres, slightly longer than the standard version, according to details published on Wednesday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Tesla has not announced the price of the Model Y L, but the base Model Y currently starts at 263,500 yuan (US$36,715) in China.
The Model Y is Tesla’s bestselling model globally, with its Shanghai Gigafactory being a major production hub that contributes to over 40 per cent of the carmaker’s global vehicle production capacity.

The Model Y, with annual deliveries of more than 480,000 on the mainland, outsold all other SUVs, including petrol-powered cars, in 2024, according to the China Passenger Car Association.
In June, the Shanghai Gigafactory reported 61,000 Model Y deliveries, up 3.7 per cent year on year, as the fully electric car retained its title of the bestselling SUV on the mainland.
However, the US car giant has faced increasing competition from Chinese EV makers, which offer a wider variety of models, including pure EVs and plug-in hybrids, at lower prices.
Tesla’s global sales fell 13.5 per cent year on year in the second quarter to 384,122 vehicles. In China, it delivered 128,803 cars in the second quarter, an 11.7 per cent drop year on year, according to the company.
Tesla’s declining sales have further widened the gap with its largest Chinese rival BYD in the battery EV (BEV) market. In the second quarter, BYD’s passenger BEV sales reached 606,993 units, 58.02 per cent higher than Tesla’s.
The soon-to-launch Model Y L could be seen as Tesla’s strategy to regain its momentum in China’s SUV market, according to analysts.
“Chinese middle-class families have a penchant for big, spacious vehicles since they often go camping and join get-togethers,” said Zhao Zhen, a sales director at Shanghai-based dealer Wan Zhuo Auto.
“A six-seat Model Y will be welcomed by many of them who still regard Tesla as the global leader in building EVs.”


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Business

Tesla teases the launch of the longer wheelbase Model Y L, due this autumn, in a social media post


Tesla teases the launch of the longer wheelbase Model Y L, due this autumn, in a social media post.


China

Tesla

Tesla plans a 6-seat version of Model Y in a bid to reclaim lost market share in China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Tesla teases the launch of the longer wheelbase Model Y L, due this autumn, in a social media post

Tesla teases the launch of the longer wheelbase Model Y L, due this autumn, in a social media post