Tesla begins domestic delivery of new Giga Shanghai-built Model Y

Key Points

• 🚗 Tesla is starting to deliver the new Model Y units produced at its Gigafactory in Shanghai, China.
• 🏭 The deliveries in China began just over two weeks after Tesla introduced the updated Model Y, which featured several small exterior and interior changes.
• 💡 Updates to the Model Y include new ambient lighting, faster acceleration, and new black Gemini wheels.
• 💰 Despite the upgrades, the base-level Model Y’s price remains the same as the previous version, starting at 263,900 yuan ($36,765).
• 🌍 The updated Model Y is not yet available in North America, but Tesla has introduced a more affordable, rear-wheel-drive configuration in the U.S.
• 🚗 Tesla is also rolling out the refreshed Model 3 Highland to various countries, and it’s expected to be released in North America eventually.

Tesla is reportedly beginning deliveries of its new Model Y units built at its Gigafactory in Shanghai, China after unveiling the updated SUV earlier this month.

The latest of Tesla’s Giga Shanghai Model Y builds has begun delivering to customers in China, according to Chinese media outlet IT Home and other local outlets (via Sawyer Merritt). The news comes just over two weeks after Tesla unveiled the updated Model Y, featuring a handful of small exterior and interior changes.

Tesla added new ambient lighting to the upgraded Model Y, similar to the lighting strip that can be found in the recently refreshed Model 3 Highland. The automaker has also removed the wood trim in the Model Y with the addition of an ambient lighting strip. Other updates include a slightly faster acceleration time of just 5.9 seconds from 0-100 km/h, plus new black Gemini wheels that many onlookers have been excited about.

Despite the upgrades, Tesla has kept this base-level Model Y at the same price as the previous one, starting at 263,900 yuan ($36,765). Currently, the new base-level Model Y isn’t available in North America and is only being built at Giga Shanghai. Whether or not that’s subject to change is unclear at this moment.

Although Tesla hasn’t made the updated SUV available in North America at this point, the automaker recently launched a more affordable, rear-wheel-drive configuration of the Model Y in the U.S., featuring a pre-incentive sticker price of $43,990.

The news also comes as the automaker continues to roll out its refreshed Model 3 Highland, dubbed the Model 3+. Recently, Tesla has started shipping the Model 3+ from Giga Shanghai to a number of European and Asian countries, along with Australia and New Zealand.

Although the refreshed Model 3 hasn’t yet been made available in North America either, it’s expected to be released on the continent eventually — and it could even be built at Tesla’s Fremont, California factory in the future.