Tesla has begun taking orders for its Model Y L in China, pricing the electric SUV from 339,000 yuan (US$47,200), Reuters reports. The Y L has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor, the Model Y, and six seats across three rows (the Model Y has a standard five-seat arrangement).
Industry filings also suggest that a longer-range, rear-wheel drive version of Tesla’s Model 3 will soon be available in China. The original Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are made at various factories around the world, including in Shanghai.
The US-headquartered carmaker reportedly seeks to reinvigorate sales in China, the world’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) market, and fend off fierce competition from cheaper-priced Chinese rivals like BYD and Chery.
[See more: Chinese carmakers dominate home turf as NEVs boom drives growth]
Indeed, domestic car brands are continuing to make gains in China. They accounted for 1.6 million units sold in July – a year-on-year increase of 21.3 percent – and 62 percent of total units sold.
Tesla’s Model Y, first released in 2020, was the world’s top-selling car in 2023. But its popularity has been waning, squeezed by newer offerings from Chinese brands like Xiaomi’s YU7 and weakening demand for EVs in markets outside of China.
Backlash against the company’s founder, Elon Musk, and his controversial work with US President Donald Trump’s administration have also caused problems for Tesla. Protests were staged outside its dealerships in the US and Europe earlier in the year, while sales have plummeted, the BBC reported.
July saw new Tesla sales plunge by almost 60 percent year-on-year in the UK and more than 55 percent in Germany, according to data published by CNBC. The same month saw BYD sales in both those markets essentially quadruple.
