Tesla recently announced suspension upgrades to Model Y units built at its Shanghai Gigafactory on Weibo, as spotted by @Tslachan and @JayinShanghai this week.
According to Tesla, the upgrade applies to Model Y units built from January on, with two main changes. First, the Model Y’s top support for the shock absorber has increased in stiffness by 50 percent. Secondly, the suspension system’s spring rate was reduced to 5 N/mm from 7 N/mm.
Through both of these changes, Tesla’s team in China says road impact will be filtered out significantly, even on particularly bumpy or mountain roads.
Back in October 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced standard Model 3 and Model Y vehicles would get improved comfort, “without affecting handling.”
The news comes after Tesla’s sales in China have continued to grow throughout Q1, and after the automaker reduced prices in several markets across its lineup, causing a surge in registrations in what is the world’s largest auto market.
Following the increase in registrations from the price cuts, Tesla bumped Giga Shanghai output in January to meet consumer demand.
Additionally, new energy vehicle (NEV) subsidies were extended in China, making most of the company’s prices even lower for buyers.
More recently, Tesla has increased prices on the Model Y in China a few different times since the original price drop. Earlier this week, Tesla’s Model S and X also completed China’s customs inspection, suggesting that they’ll begin to deliver to buyers soon.
Tesla’s Model Y Led Luxury SUV Sales in China for December and 2022, Topping Audi, Mercedes https://t.co/8EoqEoQS2C
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) January 11, 2023
