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South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Tesla plans a 6-seat version of Model Y in a bid to reclaim lost market share in China
Tesla will introduce a longer, six-seat version of its popular Model Y SUV in China, a strategic move aimed at reclaiming market share in the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) market amid increasing competition from domestic rivals. The new variant, dubbed the Model Y L, is set to debut this autumn, the US EV giant announced on Chinese social media on Wednesday, in a post that read, 'Model Y L, see you in the autumn!' Although the company has yet to disclose specific vehicle information, the new model is close to 5 metres in length with a wheelbase of 3.04 metres, slightly longer than the standard version, according to details published on Wednesday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Tesla has not announced the price of the Model Y L, but the base Model Y currently starts at 263,500 yuan (US$36,715) in China. The Model Y is Tesla's bestselling model globally, with its Shanghai Gigafactory being a major production hub that contributes to over 40 per cent of the carmaker's global vehicle production capacity. Tesla announced the Model Y L on Chinese social media on Wednesday, in a post that read, 'Model Y L, see you in the autumn!' Photo: Weibo The Model Y, with annual deliveries of more than 480,000 on the mainland, outsold all other SUVs, including petrol-powered cars, in 2024, according to the China Passenger Car Association.
Auto Blog
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Tesla Slashes Model Y Price in Canada by $15K to Dodge Tariffs
Tesla has quietly slashed CAD $20,000 off the price of the Model Y Long Range AWD in Canada—roughly $15,000 USD—in a desperate bid to revive collapsing sales. The move, unannounced by press release and unaccompanied by the usual fanfare, was first spotted by eagle-eyed shoppers on Tesla's Canadian site, where the price had tumbled from CAD $84,990 down to CAD $64,990. Oops! We're unable to load this content right now. View directly on 𝕏 It's a dramatic reversal that underlines just how brutal this year has been for Tesla in foreign markets. With a 25% surtax imposed by the Canadian government in retaliation for Trump-era U.S. tariffs, the company was forced to hike prices sharply earlier this year. Now, with sales virtually evaporated, Tesla is playing catch-up. According to reports from Electrek and others, Tesla is now importing the Model Y from its Berlin Gigafactory—rather than its U.S. plants—to bypass Canadian tariffs. While the Model 3 continues to be sourced from the U.S. and still suffers from the surcharge, the Berlin-built Model Y is slipping under the radar. That's created a rare pricing anomaly: the larger Model Y is now significantly cheaper than the Model 3 in Canada. Buyers on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to notice. 'The Model 3 is 79,990. The Model Y is 64,990. I wonder what they want to sell,' said one user. Another joked, '$20,000 Jesus.' Still others lamented just missing out: 'Feel bad for those who paid 85K.' For now, Canadian consumers are the clear winners, especially those in Québec, where the new sub-CAD $65,000 pricing requalifies the Model Y for provincial EV incentives. But for Tesla, it's a different story. Tesla Model Y Juniper — Source: Tesla A Bleeding Global Market The Canadian collapse is just the latest episode in what's been a tough year globally. In Europe, Tesla has now posted its fifth consecutive monthly sales decline, with registrations across the EU, UK, and EFTA countries plummeting nearly 28% in May compared to a year earlier. The slide suggests rivals like BYD and Volkswagen are beginning to eat into Tesla's share — especially as its aging product lineup begins to feel the strain Tesla Sales Drop in Europe for Fifth Straight Month. Even at home, things haven't gone smoothly. While Tesla's Q2 delivery numbers were technically better than the most pessimistic analyst forecasts, they were still down nearly 60,000 units year-over-year. Tesla delivered 384,122 vehicles in Q2, down from 443,956 in the same period last year. Analysts at Troy Teslike had expected just 355,000, so markets rallied slightly on the 'less bad than feared' result Tesla's Q2 Sales Drop Year-Over-Year With Surprising Silver Lining. 2025 Tesla Model Y — Source: Nissan New Enemies at the Gate As if Tesla didn't already have enough problems, Nissan is now taking direct aim. The brand recently revealed the 2026 Leaf, now reborn as a crossover SUV with sharp styling, fast-charging capability, and up to 303 miles of range. Even more threatening? It starts in the mid-$30,000s, undercutting the Model Y by a wide margin. Whether it's tax policy, declining relevance, or fresh competition from legacy OEMs, Tesla's grip on EV dominance is visibly loosening. The pricing chaos in Canada may be a short-term solution, but it also points to a longer-term question: Is Tesla still the disruptor, or is it being disrupted? For now, Canadian buyers get a win. But the bigger picture? Tesla's house is wobbling—and it's clear that Elon Musk's empire is being tested from all sides. About the Author Max Taylor View Profile
Gizmodo
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Gizmodo
Tesla Makes a Desperate Move in Canada As Sales Collapse
Tesla is making a desperate move to stay alive in Canada as its sales suffer from the fallout of Donald Trump's trade war. In a quiet but shocking update to its website, the electric vehicle maker has drastically lowered the price of its best-selling Model Y SUV by a staggering $20,000. The move is a direct response to a brutal trade dispute that has crippled Tesla's Canadian operations. In retaliation for tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Ottawa slapped a 25% surtax on all cars imported from the United States starting on April 9, 2025. Faced with this new cost, Tesla had no choice but to raise the price of a Canadian Model Y to nearly CAD $84,990 (USD $61,500). The result was catastrophic. According to reports from Electrek, the massive price hike caused demand to completely evaporate, with Tesla's sales in Canada grinding to a virtual halt in recent months. Tesla, which does not provide sales figures by region and country, saw its overall sales drop by 13.5% in the second quarter compared to a year earlier. Now, in a bid to reignite sales, Tesla has reversed course. The Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive now has a starting price of, according to the company's website. $64,990, a full $20,000 less than its peak. The likely explanation for this dramatic reversal is a major strategic pivot: the new, cheaper Model Ys are reportedly being imported from Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, allowing the company to bypass the steep tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles. While a win for new buyers, the decision has created a ludicrous pricing situation. The prices of other Tesla models, which are still sourced from the U.S., remain inflated by the surcharges. This means the Model Y, a popular SUV, is now significantly cheaper than the Model 3, Tesla's entry-level sedan. A quick check of Tesla's Canadian website shows the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive starting at $70,772, nearly $6,000 more than the larger and more popular SUV. The sudden price drop was widely discussed by Tesla fans and prospective buyers on X (formerly Twitter), with reactions ranging from shock and excitement to regret for those who bought just a few weeks too early. '$20,000 Jesus,' one user exclaimed. $20,000 Jesus — Kevin Melnuk (@KevinMelnuk) July 11, 2025'Feel bad for those who paid 85K,' said another. Feel bad for those who paid 85k — Waldo (@curtd13) July 11, 2025One user pointed out the strange new pricing dynamic: 'The Model 3 is 79,990 The Model Y is 64,990 I wonder what they want to sell.' The model 3 is 79,990 The model y is 64,990 I wonder what they wanna sell 😆 — PlentyofZero (@random01097463) July 11, 2025But for those who waited, the news was cause for celebration. 'Awesome! Ordering one tomorrow!' another rejoiced. Awesome ! Ordering one tomorrow ! — K C 189 (@kennystjohns) July 11, 2025The move highlights Tesla's growing vulnerability in global markets as it faces mounting pressure from trade policies, intensifying EV competition, and erratic demand. It also underscores the unpredictability of Musk-era pricing, which has made buying a Tesla feel more like buying crypto: volatile, emotional, and occasionally rewarding. For Canadian consumers, it may be a chance to score a deal. But for Tesla, it's a signal that its grip on global EV dominance may be slipping.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla's shock Q2 delivery surprise may have been driven by smaller unexpected markets, leaving Wall Street puzzled
Tesla's vehicle deliveries in Turkey and Norway last month were ten times the volume sold in Germany despite being minor in size when compared with Europe's largest economy. While this sudden spike in sales helped the company meet Q2 delivery estimates, it could be a sign that Tesla is in need of an outlet valve to prevent production cuts at plants such as its gigafactory near Berlin. After Tesla stunned the market on Wednesday with quarterly sales that were nowhere near as bad as feared, investors are racking their brains trying to figure out where tens of thousands of cars suddenly appeared. Signs indicate smaller markets may be serving as an outlet valve, for example to offload cars built in Tesla's Berlin factory now that many neighboring European markets have effectively shut the door on the brand due to reputational damage inflicted by CEO Elon Musk. Wall Street is therefore asking questions about whether last month's sudden spike in deliveries might have derived heavily from countries not otherwise known to be major sources of demand for Tesla. Nearly 60% of Tesla's entire first half sales in Turkey were generated in June alone. 'Deliveries above expectations may be well received,' UBS analysts wrote in a research note on Thursday, but there are '[questions] about where these vehicles sold (likely not typical regions).' Between Turkey and Norway, Tesla sold ten times as many cars in those two countries as it did in Germany last month. That's in spite of the fact total passenger car sales in the aforementioned duo, even when combined, are still only half the size of the latter. This surge in volume from unlikely places helped Tesla nail market consensus on Wednesday with 384,000 cars delivered in the second quarter, causing the stock to pop 5% in trading. Many experts that follow car markets closer than sell-side equity analysts had expected the number to come in closer to 360,000 vehicles given a lack of fresh product. Part of the reason Tesla could surprise, however, lies with the lack of transparency from Tesla relative to other carmakers. It publishes deliveries once per quarter, and only provides a split between volume—combined Model 3 and Y sales—and luxury, in which it groups the S, X, and Cybertruck together. Tesla did not respond to a request from Fortune for comment. The 7,235 vehicles sold in Turkey last month made Tesla the third-most popular brand after Renault and Volkswagen. For comparison, just 11,534 Teslas were sold in the country in all of last year, according to the local association ODMD. In EV-friendly Norway, Tesla sold 5,646 vehicles in June despite car demand in the Nordic country being 1/20th the size of Germany. Musk's brand was so strong it alone accounted for every third car sold in Norway last month. 'That's just bananas,' Cox Automotive analyst Erin Keating told Fortune. This could be a sign these markets are serving as a dumping ground for cars built in Tesla's Berlin plant now that European demand has dropped off so steeply. In Germany, the continent's largest car market by far, volumes for Tesla sank 60% in June to 1,860 vehicles and 58% across the entire first half. Such an approach would make it difficult to sustain high volumes consistently, however, as smaller markets like Norway saturate more quickly. That means Tesla could eventually be forced to halt production in Berlin due to lack of demand. In other more established markets like the United States, the picture is likewise grim. 'In the U.S. we're seeing them drop precipitously,' Keating explained. 'They're continuing to lose share pretty aggressively and the only thing they've got going for them right now is they are not as exposed to tariff risks since their cars are American produced.' This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
First Tesla Drives Autonomously From Dealer to Buyer's House, Ends in Embarrassing Flub
On Saturday, Tesla announced that it had made the world's first fully driverless delivery of a car, achieving a key promise Elon Musk had made ahead of the rocky launch of his robotaxi service. In a promotional video shared by the automaker, a Model Y rolls out of Tesla's Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. With no one inside, the gleaming EV drives itself across highways and city streets until finally reaching its new owner's apartment, making automotive history in the process. All's well — except for what seems to be one major, embarrassing oversight: where this genius feat of engineering decided to park. We draw your attention to the brightly red-colored curb that the Tesla stopped at, which reads in conspicuous white text: "NO PARKING FIRE LANE." It's theoretically possible that Tesla somehow received special permission to park the vehicle there. But if it didn't, it's another glaring example of the automaker's autonomous cars flaunting traffic laws. "As usual, Elon Musk's latest PR stunt prioritizes showmanship over public safety," Dan O'Dowd, CEO and founder of the watchdog group the Dawn Project, wrote on X. "Is the fine for blocking a fire lane included in the purchase price of a new Tesla?" Tesla's self-driving software has been the subject of intense public and regulatory scrutiny, which has ramped up following the launch of its robotaxi service in Austin earlier this month. Up until that point, the automaker had never demonstrated it was capable of deploying a fully autonomous driving system. Its popular Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature still requires the driver to remain alert and ready to take over at a moment's notice. Predictably, major cracks began to show once the ten to 20 robotaxis in Tesla's fleet began offering rides to its exclusively Tesla-fanboy clientele, who eagerly documented their driving experiences. Thanks to them, we have footage of the robotaxis committing errors including randomly slamming the brakes, nearly rear-ending a UPS truck, and dropping off passengers in the middle of a busy intersection. Notably, a few of the videos appear to show Tesla's robotaxis violating traffic laws. In one instance, a robotaxi blazes through a 15 mile per hour zone at 27 miles per hour. In another, a robotaxi wildly starts turning the steering wheel side-to-side before clearly crossing the road's solid double yellow lines to barge into a left-turn lane. These incidents earned Tesla the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is in talks with the automaker regarding the apparent traffic violations. No investigation has been launched yet, but these talks are sometimes the precursor to one. This latest stunt may add fuel to the fire. Nonetheless, Musk is claiming victory. On X, he proclaimed the delivery was the "first fully autonomous drive with no people in the car or remotely operating the car on a public highway." This isn't true. As CNBC notes, robotaxi leader Waymo has been testing its fully autonomous cars on highways in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2024, though it's currently only offering rides in this capacity to employees. In any case, we're pretty much just taking Tesla at its word, which is a precarious thing. It admitted to staging a popular promotional video from 2016 that purported to show one of its fully driving itself with someone behind the wheel; it turned out that engineers had pre-mapped the route taken in the video and that the car had crashed at least once during the shoot. More on Tesla: While Tesla's Robotaxi Program Crumbles, Its Sales Are Falling Apart
