Quick Comparison: German-Made Tesla Model Y vs. the China-Made Version

author: Manish Kharinta   

Model Y production began last month at Tesla's new Berlin Gigafactory.

Although Tesla Chief Executive has hinted that the company will use new battery technology to deliver an electric vehicle priced at $25,000, it won't make its global debut anytime soon. 

With the ongoing semiconductor shortage, rising costs of raw materials and problems with logistics, Tesla actually hiked the prices of its popular Model Y crossover last month. The price hikes come after Tesla recently kicked off Model Y production at the company's new Berlin Gigafactory.

Before the Berlin factory was online, all of the Model Y SUVs sold in Europe were built at Tesla's factory in Shanghai. As a result of this, one can probably spot both made-in-China and made-in-Germany Model Ys on the streets of Europe. 

It raises an interesting question, how different is the German-built Model Y compared to those built at Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory? For one, the made-in-Germany Tesla Model Y comes equipped with larger camera lenses. 

Early customer reviews did report any quality issues with the German-made Tesla Model Ys. However, Tesla resolved some of these issues early on, including the improper fitment of the driver's side door.

The all-new AMD Ryzen processor is also being used in the German-made Model Y, which powers the vehicles infotainment and navigation systems to deliver more computing power, improved responsiveness and speed. 

The older versions of the Tesla Model Y used the Intel Atom processor. Both the China and German made models now are built with AMD's more powerful Ryzen processor. However, the Model Y vehicles exported to Europe from China in 2021 come with the older Intel Atom processor, which Tesla says cannot be retrofitted.

The German-made Tesla Model Y also gets a new rear cargo area cover. Owners have also reported that the plastic used for the door panels in the newer Model Y is much softer than the material used in the made-in-China version.

The seats in the German-made Tesla Model Y come with extra stitching on the side, which offers more stiffness while driving, according to Tesla. The electric crossover also gets heated windshield wipers nozzles, which have been slightly redesigned to improve performance. 

It's worth noting that most of the differences between the made-in-China and German-made Tesla Model Y are only temporary. As Tesla updates the Model Ys coming out of its Shanghai facility, the made-in-China variants will soon get the same features as the versions coming out of Giga Berlin.

The purchase price for the Long Range version of the Tesla Model Y in Germany is €69,295 or around $75,369 (based on current exchange rates). Currently, the company's German website lists May 2022 as the expected delivery date for a Model Y.

The official delivery party at Giga Berlin was held on March 22, even though Tesla has been building production test versions of the Model Y crossover at the facility before then. 

This is a significant milestone for Tesla as multiple delays and pending government approvals pushed back Giga Berlin's official opening, which Musk originally hoped would happen by last summer.

Musk even signed and hand-delivered the Tesla Model Ys to the first German customers at the event. Needless to say, those Model Y's built in Germany and signed by Musk will surely be valuable for collectors. That is of course, if their owners are willing to part with them.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.