New drone images shared by Joe Tegtmeyer on X on Monday show what appears to be a Tesla Model Y L vehicle body shipped from GigaShanghai to the GigaTexas plant in Austin.
Tegtmeyer — a Tesla enthusiast who regularly posts drone footage of GigaTexas on X — shared a vehicle wrapped in protective packaging inside a wooden crate.
The vehicle appears to be the six-seat Model Y L, a three row version of the SUV which launched in China last year and has since expanded to several markets across Asia.
The shipment of bodies to Texas could signal a shift in Tesla‘s plans, though the company has not commented on whether a US launch is forthcoming.
Model Y L
The Model Y L — a three-row version of Tesla‘s best-selling model — launched in China in August 2025, with deliveries beginning the following month.
It is priced from 339,000 yuan ($49,300), approximately 75,500 yuan above the entry-level five-seat Model Y.
In December, the six-seat variant was granted approval for sale by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW), marking the first time it was considered for markets outside China.
No further updates on a European launch have been announced since the Dutch approval late last year.
In February, Australia’s Road Vehicle Regulator approved the model, with Tesla subsequently confirming the Model Y L will launch in both Australia and New Zealand.
Earlier this month, the six-seat SUV cleared energy efficiency certification with the Korea Energy Agency, allowing for the model’s launch there.
Tesla announced on Monday that the model has also been introduced in Thailand.
The Model Y L has been a strong performer in China, ranking among the top sellers in its segment of fully electric six-seat SUVs.
Despite its success, Tesla‘s CEO Elon Musk cast doubt on a US launch when asked about it in late August, saying it would not “start production in the US until the end of next year.”
“Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America,” he added.
Key Differences
The Model Y L shares its design with the standard Model Y from the front to the B-pillar, but is noticeably longer from there back.
It features larger rear glass panels, a taller roofline, and a more upright rear profile — changes designed to create additional headroom for third-row passengers.
While it retains the coupe-style sloping roofline, the slope is gentler, giving the rear end a fuller, less tapered appearance.
The Model Y L is also about 7.3 inches longer compared to the regular Model Y, expanded both in the back and in the wheelbase.
Seven-Seat Model Y
Tesla recently reintroduced the seven-seat Model Y in its lineup both in the US and in Europe.
Customers in the US ordering the All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Premium trim of the model can add a seven-seat option, available in both white and black interiors, with an extra cost of $2,500 — raising the price from $48,990 to $51,490.
While the Model Y L is a physically larger vehicle with a stretched wheelbase and longer body, the seven-seat Model Y is externally identical to the standard five-seat version.
It simply adds a third row of seats inside the existing body, mainly targeted for children, as it does not add extra legroom, for instance.
Model X
Tesla‘s larger flagship SUV, the Model X, offers five, six, or seven-seat configurations, with prices starting at $99,990.
The seven-seat option adds $3,500 and, like the Model Y, simply fits a two-seat third row into the existing body.
The six-seat layout costs $6,500 more, as it also replaces the second-row bench with captain’s chairs.
While the Model X has long served buyers seeking a larger Tesla model, it is scheduled to end production in the second quarter of 2026 alongside the Model S sedan.
The Fremont factory lines in which the two models were built will be converted to manufacture the company’s Optimus humanoid robot, management said in the latest earnings call.
