According to the Tesla container ship/delivery tracker VedaPrime, the automaker has sent three new Model Y‘s, along with several other Tesla vehicles, to Auckland, New Zealand.
EXCLUSIVE news on #Tesla #ModelY. 3 Model Y have arrived in Auckland, New Zealand from Tesla on ANL Warrnambool Monday night. Likely there for winter testing as we have seen with other new models. This could be the first sign of Tesla preparing for more Model Y markets. pic.twitter.com/AbpjleA1J8
— VedaPrime (@VedaPrime) July 14, 2020
The three Model Y’s were joined on the ship by a Model S and two Model 3 vehicles. According to VedaPrime, this is the first time a Model Y shipment from Tesla has been sent outside of North America (Mexico is still within North America).
The speculation is that Tesla has sent these vehicles to New Zealand for winter testing, as it has done in the past. In 2017, Tesla sent several Model 3’s to New Zealand during their winter to see how they performed in cold conditions.
We have also seen Tesla perform winter testing with the Model Y earlier this year in North America. Tesla also invited popular YouTuber JerryRigEverything to put the Model Y through its paces in a series of tests in Alaska.
Of particular importance to Canadian Tesla owners is how the Model Y will perform in winter with its new heat pump. The heat pump is said to be much more efficient than the Model 3’s resistive heating system, but we won’t know for sure exactly how much until later this year when we get to try it out in a real Canadian winter.
h/t [Tesmanian]
