This week, Zachary Shahan, the ringmaster of the CleanTechnica circus, wrote an article asking whether the failure by Tesla to bring new models to market would prove to be the company’s undoing. It’s a proper question to ask, as every other automaker — especially those located in China — is rushing new models to market at a breakneck pace, but Tesla is serving up healthy dollops of “same old, same old” and expecting customers to buy them. It worked for Henry Ford when the Model T was only available in black, so why shouldn’t it work for Elon Musk a century later?

Well, as it turns out, Tesla China this week announced two new variations of the only two cars it sells in the country — a 3-row, 6-passenger Model Y and a single-motor Model 3 with a listed range of 800 km (497 miles) — a few clicks more than the dual-motor car. Be still my beating heart! How much more excitement is the human body expected to endure? But I digress.

According to CnEVPost, the Model Y L is larger than the standard Model Y and is equipped with dual motors and ternary batteries supplied by LG Energy Solution. The car is expected to be priced at around RMB 400,000 ($55,710), with deliveries beginning this fall. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released a new regulatory catalog this week for public comment, which lists the Model Y L as a six-seater. Three-row vehicles are now one of the hottest segments in the Chinese new car market, where electric cars now have a greater than 50 percent market share.

The Tesla Model Y L is 4,976 mm (16.3 ft) long, 1,920 mm (6.3 ft) wide, and 1,668 mm (5.5 ft) high, with a wheelbase of 3,040 mm (10 ft). In comparison, the updated five-seat Model Y launched in China on January 10 is 4,797 mm (15.7 ft) long, 1,920 mm in (6.3 ft) wide, and 1,624 mm (5.3 ft) high, with a wheelbase of 2,890 mm (9.5 ft). The Model Y L will have dual electric motors rated at 142 kW (192 hp) in front and 198 kW (265 hp) in rear, according to CnEVPost. The 6-passenger car weighs 2.088 kg (4600 lb) and has a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph).

If, as expected, the car is priced at RMB 400,000 ($55,710), that is a steep increase from the current single-motor version that starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,700) and the dual-motor long range version that starts at RMB 313,500 ($43,700).

We have heard how competitive the Chinese market is, and it appears that Tesla may be faced with an uphill climb to find customers for the 6-passenger Model Y. NIO this week also introduced its own electric 6-passenger SUV though its sub-brand ONVO. Called the L90, it will start at RMB 279,900 ($39,000), a full $16,000 less than the new Tesla. A 7-passenger version is expected to debut later this year.

Tesla is up against it in China, with sales well below last year in four of the first six months of 2025. From January to June, Model Y retail sales in China totaled 171,491 units, which was down more than 17 percent year on year. Sales in June were up 9 percent over June of 2024, which is hopeful at least.

Styling for the new Model Y L is a bit if a mystery. The company has released the photo you see above, which looks for all the world like the Model Y we all know and love. But as CnEVPost points out, Tesla did not actually say it is an image of the new car. Below is another photo showing the rear of the 6-seat car and it shows a rather ungainly treatment at the rear of the new car that looks for all the world like the Bangle Butt that bedeviled BMWs designed by former chief designer Chris Bangle from 1992 until 2009.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but a casual inspection of both photos makes it hard to believe they are pictures of the same car. Your mileage may vary. See dealer for details!

New Single-Motor Model 3 With 800 Km Range

Also in the news from China this week is an announcement by Tesla of a single-motor RWD Model 3 sedan that is rated to have a range of 800 km (500 miles) using the very generous Chinese rating system. EPA range would probably be more on the order of 350 miles, but still, that’s a worthwhile achievement and surpasses the current dual-motor Model 3 LR available in China by almost 50 km.

The new single-motor Model 3 comes with a 225 kW motor — 20 kW more than the current single-motor Model 3. Like the 6-passenger Model Y, it is fitted with ternary lithium-ion batteries from LG Energy Solution. The current single motor car uses LFP batteries supplied by CATL and starts at RMB 235,500 ($32,800). The new model will be known as the Model 3+. According to the Chinese news outlet Cailian, it is scheduled to launch in early September in China and start at RMB 270,000 ($37,600). The current dual-motor Model 3 starts at RMB 285,500 ($39,800), and the Model 3 Performance starts at RMB 339,500 ($47,300). The Model 3+ has the same dimensions as the existing models, weighs the same, and has the same top speed as the current single-motor car.

In June, the Model 3’s retail sales in China totaled 16,636 units, a year-on-year decrease of 8.35 percent, and mark the second consecutive month of year-on-year decline. However, the Model 3 sedan saw retail sales of 91,919 units in China from January to June, up 30 percent year-on-year compared to 2024.

The Takeaway

Tesla deserves some credit for tweaking its offerings in China, but are these changes enough to halt its long downward slide since it was the best selling brand in China in 2024? There are plenty of skeptics. Are Chinese customers willing to pony up an extra $5,000 for another 50 miles of range in their Model 3? Are they likely to fork over another fifteen grand for one extra seat in their Model Y, especially if it comes with what looks like a bustle welded on where the rear window ends?

Tesla seems to think so, but the rowdy bunch at CleanTechnica is skeptical. To us, this seems like an aging actor hoping one more shot of Botox will revive a once glorious career. Is Tesla on the right track here? “We’ll see,” said the Zen master.