Tesla to release new Model Y variant in China

Tesla has applied for approval of another variant of its Model Y in China. This is to feature the longest range of any Model Y in China. Furthermore, Tesla is bringing back ambitions of developing a more affordable car.

The Model Y variant has a 225 kW motor on the rear axle and will be equipped with an NMC battery from LG. No pricing has been released officially, but the new Model Y is expected to be priced between the entry-level and long-range all-wheel drive versions.

In terms of dimensions, the new Model Y variant is the same size as the current five-seat model, and runs on a 225 kW drive. No official range rating has been released, but the model is expected to achieve about 800 km on the CLTC range, considering that the Model 3 long-range variant achieves a CLTC range of 830 kilometers.

Images published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) show a “Model Y+” badge on the tailgate. However, according to the portal CarNewsChina, it is not certain whether the final production model will actually carry this name. It may simply be an internal development code. In August, the carmaker introduced a similar variant of the technically related Model 3, in which the larger battery is combined with an efficient rear-wheel-drive system. That configuration does in fact carry a “Plus” as a name suffix.

The regulatory approval step is the last step that an automobile manufacturer must take before releasing a vehicle on the market, but it is not simply a bureaucratic step: Public feedback can be submitted between October 10-15.

The Model 3+ is already available in China, and Tesla also delivered the long-wheelbase Model Y there in the summer.

According to Chinese media reports, Tesla is also planning to launch slimmed-down versions of the Model Y and Model 3 in China. However, production in China may not start until mid-2026 or later. This was revealed in a report by 36kr, citing multiple sources. The validation testing phase has apparently already begun, but production will not take place until next year, at the earliest.

This also marks a return to the somewhat abandoned $25,000 vehicle promise, which was previously envisioned by the US-American manufacturer. This was initially promised for the summer of 2025, but in February 2024, the project was put on hold.

Update 10 November

Tesla has started sales in China of the longest-range version of the Model Y to date. The Model Y Long Range RWD is priced from 288,500 yuan (around 35,000 euros) and offers a CLTC range of 821 kilometres. Tesla has indeed dropped the “Plus” from the model name (see earlier rumours above) but has clearly exceeded the previously announced figure of over 800 kilometres according to the CLTC standard.

That means there will now be four variants of the Model Y available on the Chinese market: the base version with rear-wheel drive and an LFP battery starting at 263,500 yuan, followed by the new Model Y Long Range RWD. The all-wheel-drive version with the Long Range battery starts at 313,500 yuan, while the six-seat long version, the Model Y L, tops the range at 339,000 yuan.

carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com (both Model Y+), cnevpost.com, weixin.qq.com (in Chinese, both affordable models) carnewschina.com (Update)