Elon Musk hints Tesla Model Y may never launch in North America because of Robotaxi

Tesla has made the longer Model Y L available for order in China this week. However, according to CEO Elon Musk, the new car, slated for production at the end of 2026 in North America, may never launch due to the development of Robotaxi.

Musk revealed this when he responded to a fan on X who claimed he would not comment on Tesla’s global plans for the Model Y L. He posted, “This variant of the Model Y doesn’t start production in the US until the end of next year. Might not ever, given the advent of self-driving in America.”

The 6-seat Model Y L would have appealed to buyers seeking an electric family car. A prototype was sighted in Germany, prompting many to believe it would be sold in Europe. However, Musk has seemingly dashed any hope of seeing the SUV on American roads with a single post on X.

Musk is optimistic that the recently launched Robotaxi would be widely available enough within a year to warrant cancelling the launch of a new car. While it is up for debate whether this would be the case, it would not be the first time Musk has hung the fate of a new model on self-driving technology. Reuters reported in June that Tesla cancelled the much-anticipated ‘Model 2’ to focus on autonomous Robotaxis or the Cybercab.