Tesla new Long Range Model Y+ appears to be resonating with Chinese consumers. The variant, rated for an impressive 821 kilometres (510 miles) on the CLTC cycle, reportedly generated enough orders on its first day to fill several weeks of production at Giga Shanghai.
According to local media outlet Auto Time, Tesla showrooms were bustling the weekend of its launch. Nearly half of all visitors came specifically to learn about the new Model Y+, and in Beijing alone, around 400 units were sold within a single day. (via CNEvPost)
Priced from RMB 288,500 (C$56,900/US$40,500), the Y+ now holds the title of Tesla’s longest-range SUV. This report of a surge in demand is supported by Tesla’s own website. Initial delivery estimates were listed at two to four weeks, but growing demand has already stretched that window to four to six weeks on Tesla’s online configurator.
The new five-seat Model Y—internally known as the “Y+”—shares its overall styling and interior layout with the standard Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) version but distinguishes itself through its upgraded 78.4-kWh LG Energy Solution battery pack. This is the same chemistry used in the Model 3 Long Range+, which carries a similar 830-km CLTC rating and was also launched earlier this fall.
Due to virtually no visual differences between the Model Y+ and the rest of the Model Y lineup, excluding of course the six-seat Model Y L, display and test-drive cars were missing from many stores during launch weekend. Sales representatives reportedly told customers that no demo units are planned, with the exterior differences limited to a Y+ badge on the liftgate.
Tesla’s timing couldn’t be better. Data from the China Passenger Car Association relased this week show that the company’s October retail sales fell to 26,006 units, the lowest in nearly three years. That’s down 35.8 percent compared to 2024 and more than 60 percent lower than September’s total. Tesla’s share of the new-energy-vehicle (NEV) market slipped to just 2.03 percent, pushing it outside China’s top-ten EV brands for the first time since 2022.
