The Model Y SUVs produced by Giga Shanghai since January 1 are equipped with an updated suspension system for improved comfort.
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Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) Shanghai plant has been quietly producing Model Y crossovers with an upgraded suspension system for two months.
The elastic and damping components in the suspension system of the China-made Model Y have been optimized to reduce bumps at low speeds and allow for a more stable ride at high speeds, the company said today on Weibo.
All Model Ys produced by Giga Shanghai since January 1, 2023, are equipped with the updated suspension system, Tesla said.
Tesla's Shanghai plant, its largest in the world by capacity, produces the Model 3 sedan as well as the Model Y. It's not clear if the China-made Model 3 is also using the updated suspension system.
Tesla has optimized the Model Y's shock absorber compression damping, allowing the vehicle to pass through low-speed impact sections with less damping force, resulting in fewer bumps in the car, according to the company.
The upgraded suspension system also allows the vehicle to maintain sufficient damping force at high speeds, thus allowing for a more stable ride, it said.
The China-made Model Y, with its sporty DNA, comes with a highly flexible double-wishbone front suspension and a five-link independent rear suspension with strong stability, Tesla said.
With the suspension upgrade, the stiffness of the top of its shock absorbers has improved by 50 percent compared to the previous settings, thus filtering out a greater degree of road impact on the vehicle, it said.
Its spring stiffness has been reduced by 2N/mm-5N/mm, which reduces bumps and makes the ride more comfortable, Tesla said.
Tesla also makes the elderly and children less prone to motion sickness by adjusting the vehicle's suspension vibration frequency so that it is further away from the 4-5 Hz frequency at which the human body is prone to resonate, it said.
Chinese consumers typically prefer more spacious SUVs when shopping for a car, which is one of the factors that has made the Model Y so popular in the country.
With 315,314 retail sales in China for the full year 2022, the Model Y ranks No. 1 in sales of premium SUVs with a starting price above RMB 300,000 ($43,440), according to a list published by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on January 11.
On January 6, Tesla lowered the prices of the entire Model 3 and Model Y lineup in China, bringing the starting price of the entry-level Model Y down to RMB 259,900, down RMB 29,000 from the previous RMB 288,900.
A month later, Tesla raised the entry-level Model Y's price in China by RMB 2,000 to RMB 261,900 on February 10.
On February 17, Tesla raised the prices of the other two variants of the Model Y, the Model Y Long Range and Model Y Performance, both by RMB 2,000. The latest starting prices for these two variants are RMB 311,900 and RMB 361,900, respectively.
On February 15, Bloomberg reported that Tesla would halt some production at its Shanghai plant until the end of February as it upgrades the factory to begin rolling out an revamped version of the Model 3 in the Chinese market.
Tesla sold 66,051 China-made vehicles in January, including 39,208 vehicles exported and 26,843 vehicles delivered in China, according to data released by the CPCA last month.
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