Tesla's New Model Y L Brings More Space and More Power — But Only for China
The upcoming Tesla Model Y L is a longer, six-seat version of the standard Model Y. While the new variant hasn't gone on sale yet, Tesla has applied for a sales license with the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. That filing revealed full details about the new model, including its dimensions, power output, and three-row layout. For now, though, it's only confirmed for the Chinese market.What's Different About the Model Y L
This isn't just a standard Model Y with a third row squeezed in. Tesla stretched the wheelbase by 5.9 inches to make room for a full set of second-row captain's chairs and a third row behind them. That brings the total length to 195.9 inches, which puts it just 4 inches shy of the full-size Model X. The roofline is also slightly taller, and the whole thing gains about 212 pounds, tipping the scales at just over 4,600 pounds. It's not just bigger; it's also more powerful. The Model Y L runs a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, with 456 hp in total – about 80 more hp than the current dual-motor version. The biggest visual giveaway, however, is its new triple Y badge at the back. While Tesla hasn't shared any acceleration figures, the documents confirm a slightly pedestrian 125 mph top speed.
Why It's A China-Only Release (For Now)
China has been Tesla's strongest market for the Model Y. In 2024, the company sold over 480,000 units there, making the standard Model Y the best-selling car in the country. Nearly three-quarters of Tesla's Chinese sales came from that one model alone. But things have cooled off a bit.
Since the refreshed Juniper version launched in early 2025, Model Y sales in China have dropped more than 17 percent year over year. And with local rivals like Xpeng, Deepal, and Zeekr heating up the competition, Tesla needed something new to hold attention. That's where the Model Y L comes in. Chinese buyers tend to favor long-wheelbase cars — it's a common trend, even with sedans — so adding more room and a third row could help Tesla stand out in a crowded EV space.
What This Could Mean for Other Markets
There's no official word on whether the Model Y L will be offered outside of China. Still, it wouldn't be surprising if Tesla eventually rolled out something similar elsewhere. Three-row SUVs are always in demand in North America and Europe, but most options are either huge or expensive, often both. A stretched version of the Model Y could hit a sweet spot. It's cheaper and more efficient than a Model X, while still offering more flexibility for families or fleet buyers. But considering how many Chinese-exclusive cars never find their way across the pond, we wouldn't get our hopes up just yet.
Tesla's New Model Y L Brings More Space and More Power — But Only for China first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US stock futures little changed as investors await more earnings reports
U.S. stock futures are little changed as investors await more earnings reports. The broad S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq scored record highs to start the week amid solid earnings reports from Domino's Pizza, Cleveland-Cliffs and Verizon. Of the more than 60 S&P 500 companies that have reported, more than 85% of those topping analysts' estimates, according to FactSet data. Analysts on average expected S&P 500 companies to report a 6.7% increase in earnings for the second quarter, with big technology companies driving much of that gain, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. Philip Morris International, Coca-Cola and Lockheed Martin are among those slated to report before the market opens. However, the main events are midweek when Tesla and Alphabet report results. Investors will be keen to dissect the earnings reports for signs of how President Donald Trump's tariffs have hit the economy and corporate spending. At 6 a.m. ET, futures linked to the blue-chip Dow were at 0%, while S&P 500 futures slipped -0.11% and Nasdaq futures dropped -0.27%. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is also scheduled to speak at a conference in Washington DC as the stock market opens. Corporate news Goldman Sachs held talks for a roughly $25 billion takeover of wealth management firm Northern Trust earlier this year and almost closed a $6 billion deal for Cliffwater, Semafor reported. NXP Semiconductors' second-quarter results topped analysts' forecasts. Steel Dynamics' second-quarter results missed expectations. Zions Bancorp reported second-quarter earnings per share above Wall Street's estimates. Sarepta Therapeutics said it will pause all shipments of its Elevidys gene therapy in the United States after a muscular dystrophy patient who received a different, experimental treatment died. Initially, the company refused to do so after a FDA request. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US stock futures little changed as investors await earnings reports


New York Times
17 minutes ago
- New York Times
Why Trump Just Gave China the Keys to A.I.'s Future
Hosted by Michael Barbaro Featuring Tripp Mickle Produced by Stella TanSydney Harper and Jessica Cheung Edited by Lexie Diao Original music by Marion LozanoDan PowellDiane Wong and Pat McCusker Engineered by Chris Wood In the global fight to dominate A.I., China is quickly catching up to the United States — which is why President Trump barred the tech giant Nvidia from selling its superpowered computer chips to Chinese companies. Then, a few days ago, Mr. Trump abruptly changed course. Tripp Mickle, who covers Silicon Valley for The New York Times, explains how Nvidia's C.E.O. persuaded the president that the best way to beat China at A.I. is to help them compete. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Tripp Mickle, who reports about Silicon Valley for The New York Times. Nvidia said that the U.S. had lifted restrictions on A.I. chip sales to China. How Nvidia's Jensen Huang persuaded Mr. Trump to sell A.I. chips to China. There are a lot of ways to listen to 'The Daily.' Here's how. We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode's publication. You can find them at the top of the page. The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon M. Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez, Brendan Klinkenberg, Chris Haxel, Maria Byrne, Anna Foley and Caitlin O'Keefe. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam, Nick Pitman and Kathleen O'Brien.


WIRED
17 minutes ago
- WIRED
Did Tesla's Robotaxi Launch Backfire?
Survey data shared exclusively with WIRED suggests that Tesla's newest autonomous driving technology has freaked out some consumers. Photograph:Would you consider a ride in a self-driving car? After hearing a bit about Tesla's robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas, last month, just under half of US consumers wouldn't even think about it, according to survey data shared exclusively with WIRED. Thirty-one percent of the survey's respondents said they're not considering riding one right now. Sixty-five percent said they hadn't even heard about Tesla's robotaxi launch, which includes just a handful of cars and is open only to invited users—mostly Tesla fans. The cool reception to the launch could be less than ideal for Tesla, which has staked its future on its robotics technology. It gets worse for the electric-car maker. According to a survey, which polled 8,000 US consumers and was conducted by the market research group Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report (EVIR), 42 percent of consumers were less interested in a robotaxi ride after reading an excerpt of Wall Street Journal coverage of the Tesla launch. (The excerpt described the service and noted the potential downsides of Tesla's camera-based technology.) Just over half of those surveyed said they were less convinced that Tesla's robotaxis were safe. Over 30 percent said they strongly believed self-driving taxis should be illegal. (Twenty-four percent said they weren't sure.) Tesla, which publicly disbanded its public relations team in 2021, did not respond to WIRED's request for comment. Tesla CEO Elon Musk will likely be asked by investors about the robotaxi launch, and the public's reactions to it, during Tesla's second-quarter earnings call slated for Wednesday afternoon. The company's path-breaking approach to electric vehicles, and the tech underpinning their design and manufacture, has long made the automaker, its cars, and its mercurial leader Musk an industry lightning rod. For many years, Musk and company were able to translate that flash and noise into sky-high valuations and acclaim. Tesla is still the world's most valuable carmaker, despite accounting for just 2.5 percent of global vehicles sold last year. But Musk's foray into politics—including a Nazi-like salute executed during President Donald Trump's inauguration, and a months-long stint as the face of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency—seems to have shifted consumer feelings about Tesla, especially around a former key demographic of affluent liberals. An EVIR survey from earlier this year found that Tesla is now the only EV brand with a negative consumer perception. This spring, Tesla deliveries dropped 13.5 percent. Self-driving tech, and the artificial intelligence and robotics breakthroughs underlying it, was meant to be part of Tesla's salvation. 'Really, we should be thought of as an AI robotics company,' Musk told investors in April. 'If you value Tesla as just an auto company … fundamentally, that's just the wrong framework. If somebody doesn't believe Tesla is going to solve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company.' He's said that work in those areas could make Tesla 'the most valuable company in the world by far.' But a long-promised robotaxi service launch in Austin didn't go entirely to script. Musk initially said no one other than the customer would be inside the self-driving Teslas, but the automaker installed human safety operators in the front passenger seat of each car to intervene when the tech fails. The service isn't yet open to the public; only invited users, initially Tesla influencers popular on Musk's X platform, have access to robotaxis. Tech bloopers captured by those riders, including an incident in which a robotaxi briefly crossed a double-yellow line to drive into the oncoming lane of traffic, attracted the notice of federal regulators; a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Administration told WIRED last month that the agency is looking into the tech. And the launch itself was small, using just a handful of cars in a limited part of the city. (Tesla expanded the service area in Austin last week; in a brazen, puckish flourish typical of Musk and Tesla, the new map resembles a phallus.) Still, Musk has said his tech will roll out rapidly and that there will be 'millions of Teslas operating autonomously' in the second half of 2026. EVIR also polled 4,100 consumers with investment exposure to Tesla and found that 61 percent believe Musk should 'focus on his businesses instead of risking his reputation with government-related activities." If US consumers can't get onboard with Tesla robotaxis, the fallout might have implications for the entire autonomous vehicle industry. As with any new technology, a safety misstep by one industry player might affect all of them. The queasy consumer feelings about robotaxis could hardly come at a worse time: After years of over-promising and underdelivering, many Western tech developers are finally getting their self-driving tech on the roads. Alphabet's Waymo is picking up paying passengers in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta; Amazon's Zoox says it will launch in Las Vegas this year; Lyft and the tech developer May Mobillity say they'll start picking up passengers in Atlanta this year; Uber and the British company Wayve say they're working to start self-driving service in London at some point after the second half of 2027. In a written statement, May Mobility COO Kathy Winter called surveys finding low public trust and interest in robotaxis 'simply an artifact of low exposure to a new technology.' 'The superior convenience and safety [autonomous vehicles] provide are game changers for even the most skeptical first-time riders,' she wrote. Waymo and Zoox didn't respond to WIRED's requests for comment. China, meanwhile, seems to be racing ahead in self-driving taxis. Baidu's Apollo Go says it has completed 11 million rides—at the time, more than Waymo's 10 million—in cities all over China; rivals WeRide and operate in five and four cities, respectively.