6-seater Model Y for the US? Musk says it may not happen..

For American families hoping for a more spacious electric car, Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivered a familiar dose of whiplash. He finally acknowledged the existence of a larger, six-seat version of the popular Model Y, only to suggest in the next breath that it might never reach US production, all thanks to a self-driving future that remains stubbornly in the future.

The vehicle in question is the Model YL, a longer version of Tesla's best-selling electric car that recently launched in China. Given the Model Y's monumental success and the ravenous appetite for three-row SUVs in the United States, bringing the larger variant to America seems like the most obvious business decision since selling umbrellas on a rainy day.

Fans of the brand have been asking, and for a fleeting moment, they got an answer. Responding to a query on the social media platform X, Musk gave a tentative timeline, stating that US production for this variant wouldn't begin until the end of next year.

But in a stunning display of either long-term planning or a complete reality disconnect that might leave potential customers dizzy, Musk immediately followed up his production estimate with a massive caveat. "Might not ever," he added, "given the advent of self-driving in America."

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.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2025

The logic, it seems, is that once Tesla's Robotaxi network is fully operational, the very concept of a family needing a larger personal vehicle will simply evaporate. Families with multiple children, sports equipment, and weekend luggage will presumably summon a fleet of autonomous Teslas instead of owning a single, practical EV.

This grand vision of a driverless utopia conveniently overlooks a few earthly details. Tesla's Robotaxi program, while barely operational in a handful of limited locations, is far from a polished, nationwide system. Every autonomous journey currently includes a human safety officer either in the driver's or passenger seat. It's that pesky detail that suggests the "advent of self-driving" might still be a few dawns away.

Musk's forecast also sidestepped a rather basic question posed by the very person he was responding to: "Wouldn't people with a lot of kids still want a 3-row SUV even with self-driving?" The question, so far, has gone unanswered by the CEO.

Tesla seems to be debating the philosophical need for family-sized electric cars, while its competitors are busy selling them. The market for three-row EVs is only heating up, with established players and newcomers alike offering vehicles that people can actually buy today.

The choice to potentially cede this lucrative segment while waiting for a world-changing technology to mature is a brave strategy. It leaves would-be buyers of a six-seat Tesla in a peculiar limbo, asked to wait for a vehicle that might be rendered obsolete by a technology that doesn't fully exist yet.

For those of you who circled late 2026 or early 2027 on their calendars - we hope you used a pencil. The promise of a larger Model Y for the American market is on the table, but it comes with an asterisk the size of a self-driving semi-truck. For now, the most concrete takeaway is the uncertainty, leaving families to decide whether to wait for Tesla's maybe-car or buy an actual three-row EV from another brand.

Source