- Range likely won’t exceed U.S. versions
- It follows a similar version of the Model 3 revealed in August
- Meanwhile, Tesla is cutting content to lower the Model Y’s U.S. price
Tesla Continues To Tweak The Model Y
Following the launch of a refreshed version earlier this year, Tesla is preparing a longer-range variant of the Model Y for the Chinese market, regulatory filings with the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) show. The range boost comes from offering a single-motor rear-wheel drive powertrain with a nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) battery pack, something that isn’t currently available in the Chinese-market Model Y lineup.
Photos show “Model Y+” badging but, according to CarNewsChina, this may not be the new Model Y variant’s final name. Automakers sometimes use codenames in MIIT filings, saving the real names for official unveilings, the website notes. Whatever it’s called, the new Model Y is expected to have at least 497 miles of range as measured on China’s CLTC testing cycle, which is more optimistic than the United States’ EPA cycle.
New Battery Makes The Difference
China MIIT
Tesla currently offers two powertrain options for the Model Y in China. The base rear-wheel drive version uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery from CATL and is rated at 368 miles of CLTC range. There’s also a dual-motor all-wheel drive version with an NMC battery supplied by LG rated at 466 miles on the CLTC cycle. The NMC battery and rear-wheel drive are expected to be a more efficient combination.
Tesla did something similar with the Model 3, announcing a longer-range rear-wheel drive version for China in August. Equipping the sedan with the LG battery netted 515 miles of CLTC range. CarNewsChina expects slightly lower range for the Model Y, likely because of the crossover’s added weight and less-aerodynamic shape. The 497-mile estimate is still equivalent to 349 miles on the EPA cycle, the website estimates, a bit less than the 357 miles Tesla currently quotes for a rear-wheel drive Model Y Premium.
According to CarNewsChina, the 302-horsepower long-range rear-wheel drive Model Y will be priced between the other two versions currently sold in China. The base rear-wheel drive version starts at 263,500 yuan (equivalent to $37,000 at current exchange rates) while the all-wheel drive version starts at 313,500 yuan ($44,000).
U.S. Gets Model Y Standard
China MIIT
Tesla also had some Model Y product news for the U.S. this week in the form of the new Model Y Standard with a base price of $39,990. That undercuts the previous Model Y starting price by about $5,000, partially compensating for the loss of the federal EV tax credit. However, range drops from 357 miles to 321 miles, DC fast charging and zero to 60 mph acceleration take substantially longer, and customers lose a lot of feature content compared to the Model Y Premium.
To keep the Standard’s price down, Tesla deleted the power-adjustable steering wheel, power-folding second-row seats, and AM/FM radio, among other things, and even covered the panoramic glass roof. So while the U.S. might not be missing much with the new Chinese-market Model Y—again, it will likely have about the same EPA range as the current Model Y Premium—it will likely be a more valuable offering for Chinese customers than the Model Y Standard will be for American ones.
