Earlier this year, reports from China suggested that Tesla’s Shanghai factory was going to start production of a new 7-seater version of Tesla’s Model Y in the coming months. Then last month, Tesla officially teased the model on its Weibo page with an image of the side profile.
Now, one of the early test production vehicles has been spotted testing in north-west China, hinting at the imminent launch.
The latest was shared by Sakuragi0_0 on X and shows a covered Model Y on a highway in XinJiang China.
The rear of the car is longer, particularly behind the C-pillar. This test vehicle is also showing the new wheels that we are expecting on this model, given the regulatory approval photographs previously released.
This is expected to be the most spacious SUV that Tesla has made at its Shanghai factory, with initial production set for the Chinese market in the coming weeks.
The recent regulatory data hinted that this model will be 186 mm longer than a standard Model Y, bringing the total car’s length to 4,976 mm. That’s mainly due to an extended wheelbase found on this model.
Other changes expected on the new car include a new rear spoiler, a new gold paint option and upgraded seats on the inside.
Recent reports from China suggested that this special model has had its initial production already started with the first 6-seater Model Y rolling off the production line at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory.
This can now be confirmed seeing the test vehicle out in the wild, undertaking weather and altitude testing.
There have been multiple reports on the development of the 6 or 7-seater version of the Model Y this year. Many of these have suggested that it will first be launched in China before any plans for it to be made available in other markets.
In Australia, there are currently a handful of electric models available with 7-seats, which puts some family car buyers off buying an EV.
Having said that, the list of 6 and 7-seater EV models is expected to grow with current models like Kia EV9, Zeekr 009, Volvo EX90, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and potentially even the new Tesla Model Y 6-seater over the next 12 months.
The new Tesla Model Y in a 6-seat configuration could be appealing for some family car buyers, especially given it will come with access to its strong supercharger network. This would make family road trips in the new Model Y with more seats much easier.
It’s also expected to be one of the most efficient family SUVs on the market, if the current Model Y is anything to go by.
We will keep an eye out for updates on the new 6-seater Model Y, as this product would help bring more family SUV buyers to EVs.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.