Update, August 18, 2026: Tesla later took the long-wheelbase Model Y L beyond China — Tesery covered the South Korea six-seater and a wider Asian launch. The U.S. still was not on that early list. November 2025 China mix is one month, not a full-year verdict.
Tesla’s China retail sales in November 2025 were about 73,000 cars. Electrek, citing CAAM, put the figure at 73,145 — almost flat versus 73,490 in November 2024. That is domestic deliveries, not Giga Shanghai wholesale. CnEVPost reported CPCA wholesale at 86,700 units, including exports, up about 10% year on year.
The story that circulated on X was about mix, not the headline volume. User @zhongwen2005 posted a November domestic split: 34,000 standard Model Y, 26,000 Model 3, 13,000 Model Y L. James Cat (@TSLAFanMtl) used those numbers to argue Tesla China was not “weak” just because units were flat: Model Y L was ~27% of Model Y sales and about 28% more expensive than the base RWD Y Tesla mostly sold a year earlier.
Key facts
- Retail, China, Nov 2025: ~73,145 (CAAM via Electrek), basically flat versus Nov 2024.
- Wholesale, Giga Shanghai, Nov 2025: 86,700 (CPCA via CnEVPost), including exports.
- Unofficial mix: 34k Model Y / 26k Model 3 / 13k Model Y L, posted by @zhongwen2005. Tesla did not publish that split.
- Price context: Model Y L launched in China around 339,000 yuan. Base RWD Model Y was widely cited near 263,500 yuan — roughly that 28% gap.
- What this is not: Proof Tesla “won premium China,” or a U.S. Model Y L launch.
People look at YoY unit sale numbers and think Tesla China not doing well - wrong! Model Y L made up 27% of Model Y sales last month. This car is +28% more expensive than the RWD Y.
— James Cat (@TSLAFanMtl) December 16, 2025
Open James Cat’s original X post.
Retail vs wholesale, and why the mix matters
Two Teslas left Giga Shanghai can be an export. Only one of those two is a China retail sale. Mixing CPCA wholesale with CAAM retail is how 86,700 and 73,000 both appear in the same week and look like a contradiction. They are different bags.
If the 13,000 Y L figure is close, Tesla sold a six-seat, long-wheelbase Juniper as more than a quarter of its China Model Y mix in a single month. That raises average selling price even when unit volume is flat. It does not erase competition from BYD and others, and it does not tell you December. Tesery’s later December 2025 Model Y note is the next data point. A 2026 Shanghai rebound piece is later still.
What Model Y L is
Model Y L is the China-first long-wheelbase, three-row Model Y, built at Giga Shanghai. Tesla’s China store listed it well above the base RWD Juniper. It is a family-size SKU, not a new brand. See Tesla’s current Model Y page for live trims; China pricing moves.
Cat also noted a Long Range RWD Y in the 2025 mix, about 9.5% above base RWD. That is a second premium step. Treat both as mix comments from an analyst thread, not a Tesla 10-Q line item.
FAQ
Did Tesla China grow in November 2025?
Units to Chinese retail buyers were roughly flat year on year. Shanghai wholesale, including exports, was up about 10%. Say which number you mean.
Is the 13,000 Y L count official?
No. It comes from an X breakdown that Tesla did not confirm. Use it as a directional mix, not a regulatory filing.
Can I buy Model Y L in the U.S.?
Not from this November 2025 story. Later Tesery pieces tracked Asia first.
For owners watching China as a leading indicator: a six-seat Y can lift revenue per car when volume stalls. It does not by itself launch FSD in China or fix a weak quarter elsewhere.
Featured photo: Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai, where China Model Y and Model Y L are built. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Related: Model Y in China’s December 2025 NEV tally · Model Y L six-seater to South Korea · Model Y L in eight more Asian markets · Giga Shanghai May 2026 rebound
