Following its release in countries such as China and Australia, Tesla is launching the "Model Y L," a six-seater vehicle, in the United States.

Reuters reported on the 2nd (local time) that Tesla will sell the "Model Y L" in the United States and Puerto Rico.

This is a three-row, six-seater vehicle based on an extended version of the existing Model Y, with a U.S. retail price set at $61,990 (approximately 95.48 million KRW).

Tesla announced the launch of the "Model Y L" in China last August but had previously expressed a negative stance regarding its production and sales in the U.S.

CEO Elon Musk had even stated directly on X (formerly Twitter) that "this variant of the Model Y will not start production in the U.S. until the end of next year (2026)," adding, "Considering the advent of the autonomous driving era in the U.S., we might not produce it there at all."

The company's shift in position to plan for a U.S. launch by mid-2026 appears to be aimed at boosting sales volume.

The Model Y L is considered the model that has driven Tesla's performance in China amidst competition from local automakers such as BYD. It has since been sold in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

Tesla [Yonhap News File Photo]

Tesla achieved strong results in the second quarter of this year.

Total orders for the second quarter reached 480,126, far exceeding the market consensus of 406,600.

This figure marks a 25% increase compared to the 384,000 orders recorded during the same period last year.

The most affordable Model 3 and the popular sport utility vehicle (SUV) Model Y accounted for 97% of total orders.

While Tesla's sales had previously slowed due to the expiration of U.S. federal tax credits for electric vehicles and deteriorating public sentiment toward Musk, the recent rise in oil prices sparked by the war in Iran is interpreted as having driven demand back toward electric vehicles.

Despite these strong results, Tesla's stock price fell 8% during intraday trading.