Tesla Stock Heads for Weekly Gain. Why This China Graphite Tariff Could Affect EV Prices.

China's Ministry of State Security says it is cracking down on alleged smuggling of rare earths materials that it says threaten national security.

Tesla has unveiled a new and improved version of its Model Y that brings more comfort, more performance and a longer wheelbase.

The six or seven-seat crossover is a growing market in China. Will the three-row Model Y be enough to compete?

China accounted for 61.1 percent of the nearly 10,000 electric vehicles imported by India, up sharply from 22.8 percent the previous year. Imports from China have surged nearly 20-fold over the last four years—from just 332 vehicles—to dominate the Indian imported EV landscape.

China has put export restrictions on technologies critical for producing electric vehicle batteries, in a move to consolidate its dominance in the sector that has contributed to the country’s lead in the global EV race.

The Model Y L is 4,976 millimeters long (196 inches), which makes it about 179 mm (7.0 inches) longer than the regular Model Y. Its 1,920 mm width is identical to the five-seater version but the 1,668 mm height makes it about 40 mm taller. The 3,040 mm wheelbase (120 inches) also makes it about 50 mm longer (2.0 inches) between the axles.

As Tesla’s sales decline following Musk’s forays into US politics and amid a lack of new models, BYD has overtaken it to become the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs. Its annual revenues surpassed $100 billion for the first time in 2024.

Tesla hasn't unveiled new global vehicles, but is launching the Model Y L, an upgraded version of the popular EV, in China this fall. The new six-seater, three-row vehicle is expected to help Tesla in the Chinese market, where it has been losing market share to competitors.