Tesla appears to be getting closer to a North American launch of the Model YL, with a camouflaged prototype recently spotted testing at the company’s Fremont factory in California.
According to a drone flyover of the Fremont factory last week by Servants Life on YouTube, a camouflaged Model YL was seen driving around the test track at Tesla’s Fremont facility. While the footage is obviously from a distance, it is the same camouflage Tesla has used on other test vehicles, and giving the proportions of the vehicle, it makes sense it would be the extended wheelbase version of the Model Y.
The Fremont sighting follows several other recent appearances tied to the Model YL in the U.S. Earlier this year, another camouflaged prototype was seen testing on Interstate 280 near Palo Alto, an area Tesla frequently uses for development drives. Around the same time, drone footage from Giga Texas appeared to show a wrapped Model YL body sitting outside the factory.
All these sightings suggest Tesla is actively validating the vehicle in the U.S., potentially across both Fremont and Texas ahead of a production launch.
The Model YL was first introduced in China in 2025 as Tesla’s answer to one of the standard Model Y’s biggest weaknesses in its seven-seat configuration — the cramped third row. The larger variant stretches the wheelbase by 150 mm (5.9 inches) and increases the overall length by approximately 180 mm (7 inches), creating space for a true three-row interior with a 2-2-2 seating layout.
Unlike the optional seven-seat configuration in the standard Model Y, the Model Y L is designed from the ground up to prioritize passenger comfort. This version of the world’s most popular vehicle includes second-row captain’s chairs with heating and ventilation, heated third-row seats, and an upgraded interior.
The vehicle has already expanded well beyond China. Tesla recently launched the Model YL in eight additional Asian markets, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, and the Philippines.
In 2025, Musk suggested the Model YL was not coming to North America until late 2026, if at all, arguing that advances in autonomous driving could eventually reduce demand for larger family-oriented vehicles.
However, these sightings suggest Tesla in fact may be moving more quickly than originally expected, and a potential launch could happen in Q3.
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