Tesla has started Australian deliveries of the Model Y L, a six-seat version of the country's top-selling EV. It costs from $74,900 before on-road costs, and it is the first Tesla sold here with vehicle-to-load power.

What you actually get

The Model Y L stretches the standard car with a longer wheelbase and a taller roof, opening up a 2+2+2 cabin. WLTP range climbs to 681km, up from 600km in the five-seat Long Range AWD, thanks to an 88.2kWh battery. Outputs sit at 378kW and 590Nm, with a 0 to 100km/h claim of 5.0 seconds. Only one variant is offered, the Premium AWD, priced about $6,000 above the five-seat Premium Long Range AWD.

The bit that matters for families

Six seats in a Tesla is the headline, but the third row is the real story. The longer body means the second and third rows are usable by adults on a school run or a weekend away, not just small kids wedged in for ten minutes. Boot space behind the third row is tighter, as it is in every six-seater, so a full Coles shop plus a pram is a genuine packing exercise. The 2+2+2 layout with captain's chairs in the middle makes child-seat access easier than a bench, which matters when you are buckling in two under-fives in a car park.

V2L, finally

Australia gets vehicle-to-load on a Tesla for the first time. It supplies up to 3.3kW through an adaptor, enough to run a fridge, power tools, or a campsite. It arrives late to a party that BYD and others reached years ago, but it is here.

Cartell Assessment

The Model Y L is the first Tesla in a while aimed squarely at people who need three rows and were about to sign for a Kia EV9. At $74,900 before on-road costs it undercuts the EV9 by a clear margin while giving up some space and some plushness. If you want a six-seat EV, badge loyalty aside, this is now the value pick in the segment. The catch is that it is a Model Y first and a people-mover second, so anyone expecting EV9 lounge-room comfort will find the L roomy rather than lavish.

AU Outlook

Deliveries are underway now, so you can see one in the metal at a Tesla store rather than waiting on a ship. The obvious question is whether Tesla holds the single-variant line or adds a cheaper rear-drive L later to chase families on tighter budgets. Watch the order banks through to spring.