Connect with us

News

Tesla opens non-launch Model Y sales in China, following initial deliveries

The regular versions of the new Model Y went live at the same prices as the Launch Edition—with one small change.

Published

on

Credit: @TeslaFrenzy/X

Tesla has started selling the regular versions of its newly refreshed Model Y in China, and some wait times are upwards of a couple of months.

After Tesla China officially began deliveries of the new Model Y “Launch Edition” earlier this week, the company has now transitioned to selling the regular version of the refreshed vehicle on its order configurator as of Saturday morning. The Launch Series Model Y came with two extra years or 40,000 extra kilometers of warranty time, and the non-launch versions are being sold at the exact same prices as the initial offerings.

Currently, buyers in China can get the regular Model Y in two configurations: the entry-level rear-wheel drive (RWD) trim starting at RMB 263,500 (~$36,176), or the Long Range, all-wheel-drive trim, which starts at RMB 303,500 (~$41,668). At the time of writing, estimated delivery time on the RWD ranges from two to four weeks, while those who order the AWD stand to wait between six and ten weeks from ordering.

READ MORE ON TESLA’S NEW MODEL Y: New Tesla Model Y received over 70,000 new orders in first five days: report

The sale of Tesla’s Launch Edition Model Y was live up until Friday, after it was initially launched weeks ago, before deliveries started this week. The bonus warranty is no longer available for the non-launch version of the vehicle, though everything else about the regular Model Y appears to be the same.

“Thank you for your attention and love,” Tesla China wrote in a post on Weibo after Launch Edition deliveries began on Wednesday. “Today, we have started delivering the first batch of the new Model Y. Congratulations to the car owners! As we said before: Just compare, you will know after trying it. Welcome everyone to experience it in our store.”

Advertisement
-

Tesla initially launched the upgraded Model Y in China on January 9, after it was widely expected with several sightings making waves online in the preceding weeks. The company has also started rolling out owner’s manuals for the refreshed Model Y design, detailing some of the design changes like its reflective rear lightbar and front lightbar, a physical indicator stalk, and other updated components like acoustic glass and so-called invisible speakers, among others still.

The company also recently confirmed that it plans to launch a seven-seat configuration of the Model Y, along with a Performance variant of the electric vehicle (EV), both slated for later this year.

New Tesla Model Y launches in the U.S., estimated deliveries in March

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Semi’s biggest adoptee gives an update on production timeline

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla recently received its largest order for the all-electric Semi from Einride, a Swedish transport service, for 500 units, a groundbreaking invoice to receive before the first deliveries begin.

Even more remarkable, Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli said in a recent interview that he expects his company to take delivery of all 500 — the entire order — before the end of 2027. He even expects to have 75 Tesla Semi units in the Einride fleet before the end of this year.

Charli said the Tesla partnership was part of a broader push, along with its earlier partnership with Amazon. Einride is assisting Amazon with the use of its Saga AI platform, which helps eliminate questions about budgeting and forecasting for logistics companies.

The Semi, as well as Tesla’s production and subsequent delivery of the units to Einride, will help the company “to have a good supply of vehicles that we can deploy on the [Saga AI] platform,” Charli said. “Tesla is also a relationship we’ve had for a while, and as the Tesla Semi deliveries are firming up, we decided to do a larger commitment to that and deploy that on our platform.”

In its initial announcement, Einride said it anticipated taking delivery of the trucks over the next two years, but now it appears the company is expecting all 500 units within the next 16 months.

Tesla Semi gets its largest order yet

Built at a dedicated factory in Sparks, Nevada, the Tesla Semi has been perhaps the biggest and most intensive testing process the company has ever had for a single vehicle model. For the past several years, Tesla has been working with many companies, most notably Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, to gain knowledge on the performance on regional routes.

Advertisement
-

Tesla plans to launch the Semi officially on September 24, five months after production started ramping.

Additionally, drivers have said they are happy about the Semi’s performance and that its numerous safety and productivity features have made their jobs and routes much easier.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider

Published

on

Credit: ARTSIMAGE | X

Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.

Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.

This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.

Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.

Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.

Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.

Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.

Advertisement
-

Tesla will launch Cybercab on September 3

Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla ends in-house wrap service that always seemed like a short-term program

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.

After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.

By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.

Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing

It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.

However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:

Advertisement
-

Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.

However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.

Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.

Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.

Continue Reading