According to a report by Cailian Press, Tesla’s super factory in Berlin, Germany has begun production of the Model Y rear-drive basic version equipped with BYD batteries. This is Tesla’s first electric vehicle using LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries launched in the European market.
It is understood that the Model Y basic version uses BYD’s Blade Battery technology, with a battery capacity of 55kWh and a cruising range of 440 kilometers. In contrast, the basic version of the Model Y exported from the Shanghai factory in China to Europe uses LFP battery with a battery capacity of 60kWh and a cruising range of 455 kilometers. The main difference between the two is that BYD’s Blade Battery can be directly installed in the body structure, reducing weight and cost.
Tesla’s German factory also adopted the latest casting technology to cast the front and rear frames of Model Y as a whole at one time, improving the strength and stability of the body. Tesla CEO Elon Musk once called this technology “A revolution in car manufacturing”. At present, Tesla’s German factory has produced the Model Y performance version and long-range version. The Model Y basic version equipped with BYD batteries may be offline within a month. This also means that Tesla will provide more choices and price ranges in the European market to attract more consumers.
It is reported that Tesla has no plan to use BYD batteries in the Chinese market for the time being, and still mainly relies on CATL and LG Chem as battery suppliers. It is worth mentioning that, not long ago, on May 2, Tesla’s Model 3/Y sales in mainland China also ushered in price adjustments, and the prices of all models were raised by 2,000 yuan. The Model 3 starts at 231,900 yuan, and the Model Y model starts at 263,900 yuan. Currently, the estimated delivery period for Tesla Model 3 is 1-4 weeks, while the estimated delivery period for Tesla Model Y is 2-5 weeks.
