Tesla’s Model Y is being updated for the Chinese market with increased range and a new electric motor that ups its power – and there’s a good chance the revamped version will head down under.

The details were uncovered in information from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology that shows the Y will have its range extended from 751km (CLTC) to 776km, with consumption falling from 12.8kWh/100km to 12.4kWh/100km. The improvement isn’t down to a new battery or a reduction in weight, however, with a report from China’s Sina publication stating that “core technology optimisations” are responsible.

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Tesla’s new TL2 electric motor, which drives the front wheels, is behind the power increase from 142kW in the current model to 176kW in the updated version. The newcomer will retain the Y’s current rear motor, which makes 198kW.

The report states that there are no other headline-grabbing changes to the Model Y, which will retain the same hardware and battery, but will benefit from “multiple key data optimisations”. The change in the front motor will also “significantly” improve initial response and acceleration, the publication claims.

Australia’s Model Ys and Model 3s are all made in China, so while Tesla hasn’t made any official announcement about the updated version making it to our showrooms, it’s reasonable to assume it will get a run down under. 

The most recent addition to the local line-up was the longer and more spacious Model Y L, which opened for Aussie orders in March. Priced from $74,900 plus on-road costs, it has been stretched to add a third row of seating and also gets a new 19-inch alloy wheel design.

Tesla’s Y led the way as Australia recorded another surge in EV deliveries in August, according to figures from the Electric Vehicle Council. The brand recorded 7685 deliveries for the month, up 163 per cent on the same time last year.

The Model Y was the vast bulk of that, with 6414 deliveries representing a 176 per cent increase year-on-year. Another 1271 sales came from the Model 3, which recorded its strongest monthly performance since January.