

News
Tesla China kicks off 2023 with new delivery, insurance, and trade-in incentives
Tesla China seems intent on starting 2023 on a strong note. As the new year started in China, the electric vehicle maker made its current offerings more attractive to customers through a set of new, compelling incentives.
China is not only the world’s largest electric vehicle market; it is also arguably the most competitive. While Tesla generally dominates North America with its electric vehicles like the Model Y crossover and the Model 3 sedan, the American EV maker actually has legitimate competition in China. These come in the form of EVs from veteran companies like BYD to upstarts like NIO.
With this in mind, it is no surprise that Tesla China is taking the domestic EV market seriously. This could be hinted at in Tesla China’s official Weibo account, which recently posted a number of incentives for customers to welcome the new year. To commemorate the start of 2023, for example, a delivery incentive of RMB 6,000 and an insurance subsidy of RMB 4,000 are now offered. A preferential rate for car loans via Tesla Financing and preferred lenders was also included.
“The new year is here, and so is Tesla’s heart! — Limited-time delivery incentive of 6,000 yuan; Limited-time delivery incentive of 6,000 yuan; Preferential rate financial plan — New Year, give yourself and your loved one a new Tesla,” the EV maker wrote on Weibo.
Apart from the new incentives for vehicle deliveries and insurance, Tesla China also announced a new benefit for customers who are trading in their vehicles. As per the EV maker’s Weibo post, 90 dates of free Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) access would be offered for customers who take advantage of the limited-time trade-in offer.
“Why not get a new car for the New Year? Tesla official trade-in benefits are online for a limited time, other brands of vehicles for Tesla, 90 days of enhanced automatic assisted driving (EAP) trial benefits waiting for you to get. Tesla is a one-stop shop for trade-ins,” the EV maker wrote.
It remains to be seen how Tesla China performed in Q4 2022, though the EV maker has been pushing hard to ensure that it delivers as many vehicles as possible. With China’s overall auto market showing signs of a potential downturn and with the country’s EV sector becoming more competitive, Tesla China might have to adopt a more aggressive strategy than before to ensure that it protects — and potentially even grow — its market share in the country.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla China’s rumored Model Y “E80” variant: Alleged price, features, and more
The vehicle will reportedly be a more affordable variant of the best-selling Model Y crossover.

Recent reports from Chinese social media and news outlets have shared some rumors about an upcoming vehicle that Tesla China is reportedly developing.
Rumored to be internally codenamed as “E80,” the vehicle will reportedly be a more affordable variant of the best-selling Model Y crossover.
The Model Y “E80” Rumors
As per the recent rumors, which were initially posted on Chinese social media, the Model Y “E80” will reportedly be equipped with a 50-55 kWh battery. The vehicle’s launch will reportedly be determined by the market performance of the new Model Y, though some rumors suggest that its rollout could be as early as the second half of 2025, or sometime in 2026.
Rumors about the vehicle’s price are varied, with some news outlets stating that the “E80” will be priced at around 150,000-170,000 yuan ($20,500-$23,300), while others cited a price of 190,000–210,000 ($26,000–$28,800). For context, the new Model Y in China today is priced at 263,500-313,500 yuan ($36,160-$43,000) depending on its variant.
Being an affordable variant of the new Model Y, he “E80” will reportedly be quite different from its more premium siblings. The vehicle will reportedly be fitted with smaller wheels, single-layer windows on its sides, no rear display, half the number of speakers, single-color ambient interior lighting, fabric seats with no heating or ventilation functions, a manual trunk, and a metal roof.
Rumored, But Not Farfetched
While these rumors about the alleged Model Y “E80” from China are not confirmed at all, Tesla has released a pretty similar, stripped-out variant for one of its current vehicles—the Cybertruck. Just recently, Tesla introduced the Cybertruck Long Range Rear Wheel Drive (LR RWD), which costs $10,000 less than the Cybertruck All Wheel Drive (AWD). The vehicle featured smaller wheels, fabric seats, less than half the number of speakers, and no rear display, among others.
A more affordable Model Y was teased by Tesla VP of Engineering Lars Moravy, who noted that Tesla’s affordable models will likely resemble the company’s current products. “Models that come out in next months will be built on our lines and will resemble, in form and shape, the cars we currently make. And the key is that they’ll be affordable, and you’ll be able to buy one,” Moravy stated during the Tesla Q1 2025 earnings call.
News
NY Democrats are taking aim at Tesla direct sales licenses in New York
Democratic Senator Patricia Fahy is pushing to revoke a legislative waiver that allows Tesla to operate five NY locations without using dealer franchises.

Democratic New York State Senator Patricia Fahy, once a Tesla ally, is currently pushing to revoke a legislative waiver that allows the electric vehicle maker to operate five New York locations without using dealer franchises.
Fahy cited CEO Elon Musk’s role in President Donald Trump’s administration as a reason for her change of heart.
Fahy’s Shift in Stance
For 12 years, Fahy frequently supported Tesla’s fight to bypass New York’s franchise dealer regulations. But after Elon Musk personally took Donald Trump’s side, and after he worked as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Fahy no longer supports the EV maker. Apart from her anti-Tesla efforts in the State Capitol, the Senator has also participated in demonstrations against a planned Tesla dealership in Colonie, as noted in a report from the New York Times.
“Maybe I’m making amends,” Fahy stated, describing Musk as “part of an administration that is killing all the grant funding for electric vehicle infrastructure, killing wind energy, killing anything that might address climate change. Why should we give them a monopoly?”
Fahy has introduced legislation that would effectively end Tesla’s direct sales operations in New York, as noted in a Syracuse.com report. Her bill argues that Tesla’s legislative waiver provides the EV maker with an unfair advantage. Thus, Fahy wants Tesla to forfeit its five licenses by 2026. The licenses could then be redistributed to other EV makers that also sell directly to consumers, such as Rivian, Lucid, and Scout Motors.
Republican Opposition
Republican New York Senator Jacob Ashby has described Senator Fahy’s bill as misguided, arguing that the “government should not be picking winners and losers on this.” Ashby also noted that “political disdain seems to be more at play. We are not recognizing the power and implications of the process that we have and that we should trust it.”
Colonie town supervisor Peter Crummey, also a Republican, stated that “though political sentiments appear to have recently changed for some folks about Tesla’s founder, people should let the Planning Board do their work.” As for requests from state legislators who are inserting themselves into the Tesla issue, Crummer noted that “I am confident we will give them the weight it deserves.”
Lifestyle
Possible first glimpse of Tesla “Model 2” affordable car in Fremont Factory
The models that Tesla will release in the coming months will resemble the company’s current lineup.

During the Q1 earnings call, Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy set expectations on the design of the affordable models that the company is expected to launch this 2025. As per the Tesla executive, the models that Tesla will release in the coming months will resemble the company’s current lineup.
Drone footage from the Fremont Factory earlier this month might have provided the EV community its first potential glimpse at Tesla’s affordable cars–fondly dubbed by EV fans and analysts as the “Model 2” or even “Model Q”–or at least their components and overall shape.
The Sighting
Tesla watcher and drone operator Met God in Wilderness, who has been posting aerial videos of the Fremont Factory for years now, recently shared some footage from his drone flyovers this month. While the Fremont Factory was abuzz with activity as usual, a couple of rather strange vehicles were quickly spotted by EV watchers on social media.
During the drone operator’s flyover on the 17th, for example, an unfinished vehicle could be seen parked next to what appeared to be fully-built Model S and Model Y units. What was especially interesting was the vehicle’s roof, which seemed to be slightly narrower than the Model Ys around it. Based on the video, at least, the vehicle seemed to be shaped like a crossover as well.
Footage from the 24th of April also proved quite interesting, with the drone operator capturing footage of another cryptic vehicle. Unlike the mysterious, unfinished, crossover-esque car spotted on the 17th, this particular unit seemed to have a more sloping rear, at least based on the shape of its covering.
What Lars Moravy Said
In Tesla’s Q1 2025 Update Letter, Tesla noted that “plans for new vehicles, including more affordable models, remain on track for start of production in the first half of 2025.” Tesla also noted that the new vehicles will utilize aspects of its next generation and its current platforms. They will also be produced on the same manufacturing lines as its present vehicle lineup, likely the Model Y and Model 3.
During the earnings call itself, Moravy specifically stated that the new models that would come out in the next months would resemble the company’s current vehicles. They will, however, be affordable. “Models that come out in next months will be built on our lines and will resemble, in form and shape, the cars we currently make. And the key is that they’ll be affordable, and you’ll be able to buy one,” Moravy stated.
Watch the drone operator’s footage from April 17 below.
The drone operator’s footage from April 24 can be viewed below.
-
News6 days ago
Tesla’s Hollywood Diner is finally getting close to opening
-
Elon Musk1 week ago
Tesla doubles down on Robotaxi launch date, putting a big bet on its timeline
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla’s top investor questions ahead of the Q1 2025 earnings call
-
News2 weeks ago
Underrated Tesla safety feature recognized by China Automotive Research Institute
-
News2 weeks ago
These were the best-selling EV brands in the U.S. in Q1
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla’s vehicles led U.S. EV sales again last quarter: report
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla reveals latest Giga Texas production milestone
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Former OpenAI employees show support for Musk lawsuit