Tesla is expected to begin production of the 7-seat Model Y at Giga Shanghai soon, after receiving approval from European authorities to import the three-row electric SUV.
Tesla first introduced the 7-seat Model Y in North America in 2021, with production limited to the Fremont factory, and the option only being available on the Long Range (LR) variant. That meant the three-row electric SUV was only sold in Canada and the US, although Canada was later excluded when Tesla switched to supplying the Canadian market from China.
Now Tesla plans to expand production to China. Earlier this week Tesla received approval from European authorities to import the new variant from Giga Shanghai. According to the documents shared on the TFF forum, Tesla will continue to only produce the 7-seat option for the LR variant, with the additional row adding 45kg (99lbs) to the vehicle’s weight. The vehicle’s maximum load and payload have also increased by 70kg (154lbs) and 45kg (99lbs) respectively.
The range and consumption of the 7-seat Model Y has remained the same, according to the documents.
Based on images of the Model Y included in the approval, the third row will be added to the Model Y currently in production, squashing any speculation that this third row is for the Project Juniper refresh that is rumoured to launch next year.
With the approval in hand, Tesla is expected to begin production of the 7-seat Model Y at Giga Shanghai in October, according to sources that spoke with local media in China. The vehicle will reportedly first be built for the Chinese market, and then exported to Europe in the fourth quarter.
