Tesla has filed with the Chinese government to produce five more versions of the Model Y electric SUV at Gigafactory Shanghai.
Some of those variants are expected to be exported to other markets that will get the electric SUV for the first time.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China released its latest batch of “new energy vehicle” applications for production in the country.
The batches of filings have been a good way to track new electric vehicles coming to production in China, which is now the world’s biggest EV market and home to many EV models exclusive to that market.
Tesla had several applications in this new batch, and they appear to be all new versions of the Model Y.
Here are the specific models that Tesla applied for production in the new batch linked above:
There appears to be 2 Model Y Standard Range versions – one with a domestically produced motor and one with an imported motor.
As we reported, Tesla recently launched a Model Y Standard Range in China with deliveries expected to start next month.
The cheaper version of the electric SUV was briefly launched in the US earlier this year before Tesla decided not to offer the configuration.
The fact that Tesla is applying to produce two versions of the Model Y Standard Range in China could mean that one of them is going to be exported to other markets.
As previously reported, Gigafactory Shanghai has become Tesla’s new main export hub.
Among the new Model Y versions that Tesla is applying to produce in China, there are also a new Model Y Long Range RWD, Model Y Long Range Dual Motor, and a new Model Y Performance.
The most surprising is the Model Y Long Range RWD since it’s not something Tesla is currently offering on the online configurator for the electric SUV in China.
Tesla has previously talked about launching this version of the Model Y as an alternative to the Model Y Standard Range.
Electrek‘s take
It looks like Tesla is preparing to produce a full lineup of Model Y vehicles in China. Those are more versions of a single model than we have ever seen from Tesla to date.
The automaker is known for limiting variants of any vehicle to streamline the buying process and production.
It looks fairly clear that some of those will be for local sales and others will be exported to other markets.
Tesla has officially opened Model Y orders in Europe with the first units expected to be coming from China soon.
Model Y production in China is likely going to be Tesla’s biggest vehicle program for growth during the second half of the year.
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Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
