Tesla releases a stretched Model Y in China that can seat six people

The Tesla Model Y is proving to be quite a popular electric car around the world, once even claiming the top spot as the world’s best-selling car back in 2023, and even here in the Philippines.

Although things don’t seem to be the case in China, where Tesla is fiercely battling both new manufacturing startups and established brands in the electric vehicle space. This is why the American automaker has (oddly enough) debuted a brand new variant of the Model Y in China called the Model YL.

China specifically values space over everything else, which is why several manufacturers have extended wheelbase variants of cars found around the world, and this is exactly what this is. 

The wheelbase of the Model Y has been stretched by 150mm (now 3,040mm), and the car’s overall length is now 186mm longer (4,976mm), and it stands a little taller by 44mm (1,668mm).

The car is mostly identical, sans the unique 19-inch wheel design, and revised rear end, which features larger rear quarter glass, a near rear glass, and hatch assembly with a built-in ducktail spoiler.

This is necessary to accommodate the additional third row of seats behind the two individual second-row seats with electric armrests that come out of the seat bases. Other unique amenities include heated seats for all three rows, seat ventilation for the first and second row, and third-row air vents.

The additional length also increases the Model Y’s total cargo capacity from 2,041L up to a cavernous 2,539L of space, should you desire to fold the third row down.

As for the powertrain, this Model Y is identical to the Long Range dual-motor AWD variant, meaning it has a similar 0-100kph time of 4.5 seconds, just .2 seconds slower than the standard model, and a CLTC range of 751km (where the Long Range dual-motor AWD does 750km), but expect that to realistically fall around 600km or so.

Now, while the Teslas in the Philippines are sourced from the Shanghai Gigafactory (where this Model YL is also made), there currently is no news if this model is a China-only exclusive variant, but it sure would sell like hotcakes in the Philippines, considering how the price difference between the two in China is 25,500 yuan or roughly Php 202,700.

_{Photos from Tesla}