Electrek’s weekly rundown just dropped a packed agenda for EV fans. Tesla is having a wildly busy first week of July, rolling out a brand new stretched version of its most popular car while simultaneously dropping quarterly delivery numbers that blew past Wall Street’s expectations.
But Tesla isn’t running completely unopposed. While the six-seat Model Y L and a 480,126-unit delivery quarter grabbed the immediate attention, BMW quietly stepped into the ring with the highly anticipated iX5, throwing down a gauntlet with 525 miles of battery range.
Key Details
- Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in Q2 2026, beating consensus estimates by roughly 74,000 units.
- The Model Y L debuts in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with a $61,990 starting price and 325 miles of range.
- BMW’s iX5 arrives with a 141-kWh battery pack pushing it past the 500-mile range barrier.
Buyers have been asking for a practical three-row electric SUV that doesn’t break the bank, and Tesla finally answered. The automaker officially launched the Model Y Long Wheelbase (Y L) this week. Confirmed for the U.S. and Puerto Rico, this “Launch Series” starts at $61,990. For that price, you get a stretched six-seat layout, a 4.4-second sprint to 60 mph, and 12 months of Full Self-Driving with integrated Grok AI.
People are clearly still buying these cars in droves. On Thursday, the company reported 480,126 deliveries for the second quarter. That is a 25 percent year-over-year jump, heavily carried by a 108 percent spike in European registrations. Interestingly, that European surge easily wiped out a 20 percent drop in U.S. demand. According to MLQ’s analysis of the Q2 figures, TSLA shares actually fell about 7 percent to around $398 after the announcement, mostly because traders had already priced in the good news during a recent stock rally.
The competitive pressure is clearly heating up on the premium end. BMW unveiled the iX5 on June 30, packing a huge 141-kWh battery capable of 525 miles of range. All of these rapid-fire industry moves are the central focus of the upcoming Electrek podcast, where the hosts are breaking down exactly how these new vehicles stack up against each other.
How the Model Y L Reshapes the 3-Row EV Price War
Tesla’s pricing strategy for the Model Y L puts it right in the crosshairs of aggressive South Korean competitors. At $61,990, the stretched Tesla is slightly more expensive than the Kia EV9, which undercuts it at $54,900 while offering 304 miles of range. It also sits just above the Hyundai Ioniq 9’s $58,955 starting price.
On a global scale, Tesla’s Q2 delivery beat proves they are fighting hard to keep the total volume crown. The 480,126 units moved in Q2 represent their best second quarter on record, narrowly beating Q2 2023. More importantly, it narrows the gap with BYD. The Chinese automaker delivered 557,090 battery-electric vehicles during the exact same period. Tesla is holding its ground in Europe, setting up a fierce second half of 2026 as the Model Y L finally hits driveways.