Can Tesla Break the Spell of the Unpopular 300,000-yuan Pure Electric Vehicle Market?

By Wuliru August 27th, 2025 107 views

Can Tesla Break the Spell of the Unpopular 300,000-yuan Pure Electric Vehicle Market?
In July, the Li Auto i8 and the Le Dao L90 were launched successively. Due to the influence of the Le Dao L90 with a starting price of 265,800 yuan, the pricing of the Li Auto i8 was once pushed to the forefront of public attention, and it had to quickly adjust its market strategy. Despite adjustments in both price and configuration, the criticism of its high pricing remained intense.
300,000 yuan seems to be an insurmountable threshold for pure electric vehicles. Can the arrival of the Model Y L break the spell of the unpopular market?
The 300,000-yuan spell for pure electric vehicles remains unbroken to this day.
According to data from Autohome's AI Marketing Brain, in the first half of 2025, the sales contribution of the pure electric market mainly came from models with transaction prices below 150,000 yuan, accounting for as high as 68.2%, while the proportion of the 300,000-yuan and above mid-to-high-end market was nearly 4.2%.

When looking at the sales distribution of the overall market by energy type, pure electric vehicles still account for 29.1%, but when it comes to the 300,000-yuan and above segment, the proportion drops to only 12.8%. Extended-range vehicles have the highest proportion among new energy vehicles, reaching 17.9%. Why is it difficult for the pure electric market to break through? This is directly related to the characteristics of potential users.

According to Autohome's research data, among potential users of six-seat new energy vehicles, as high as 97% come from the demand for replacement or additional purchases. Among those with replacement needs, nearly 80% are traditional fuel vehicle owners. Therefore, in their minds, for the same amount of money, apart from choosing traditional fuel vehicles, extended-range and plug-in models without range anxiety are more acceptable to them. Additionally, the relatively lower resale value is also one of the reasons why consumers are reluctant to spend more on pure electric vehicles.

At this point, some may say that many new energy brands focus on the high-end market and have decent sales, so why is it not good? Here, we need to further break down the new energy market.
With the rise of the replacement and additional purchase market, six- and seven-seat new vehicles have increasingly entered consumers' consideration lists. New energy brands have taken the lead in launching multiple new models, but few have only launched pure electric models. Whether it's the Askui M8 and M9, or the Denza D9, or the Lanyu Dreamer, these relatively successful models are not primarily pure electric versions.

Looking only at pure electric sales, the best-selling pure electric model in the first half of 2025, the ZEEKR 009, has not even reached 9,000 units in cumulative sales, with an average monthly sales volume of less than 1,500 units. Such performance is difficult to sustain the long-term sales of a model. Among the top 10 models, only three are SUVs. Is buying a six- or seven-seat MPV still the first choice? Not necessarily.
Nowadays, six- and seven-seat SUVs have become a new consumption trend. According to Autohome's research data, when choosing a six-seat vehicle, 76.6% of users prefer SUVs, and among them, 41.4% of users are clear about only considering the six-seat version, rather than both six- and seven-seat options. They mostly believe that six-seat models offer more independent seating and higher comfort.
With all the favorable conditions in place, but the market segment still showing no improvement, the main reason is the lack of human factors. Can the Model Y L achieve what others cannot? First, the product must be strong.

How strong is the product power of the Model Y L?
Although the market segment is not large, the competition is not weak. According to research data, potential users considering the Model Y L are also considering multiple other new energy vehicles. The top three most popular ones are the Le Dao L90, the Askui M8, and the Li Auto i8, each with its own strengths. Compared to the Model Y L, the Le Dao L90 has a more obvious price advantage; the Askui M8 has a high brand reputation and advanced intelligent driving capabilities; the Li Auto i8 excels in configuration richness and cabin interaction experience. What does the Model Y L have? Among the factors that users consider when purchasing a car, space/comfort, safety and range/energy consumption are the top three priorities, with each having a selection rate of over 60%, making them absolute necessities for users. Fortunately, the Model Y L is not stingy or capricious. Whether it's the second or third row, the space is fully taken care of, and its range is even 1 km longer than that of the Model Y. However, these alone are not enough.

Why choose a Tesla model? From the research data, it is obvious that what most attracts users to the Model Y L is the reliability of its three electric systems and its advanced battery management system, with both having a selection rate of over 80%, giving it absolute dominance. This is even more important for ordinary users who do not have a Tesla brand bias, with their selection rate TGI exceeding 100.

However, FSD, which is also a technological advantage of Tesla and even one of the keys to its success in the Chinese market, has a selection rate of only 28.8%.

The value of FSD is hard to reflect, and its product advantages are discounted.

Price is an insurmountable gap. The official price of the Model Y L is 339,000 yuan. If you pay to unlock "intelligent assisted driving", the total price will exceed 400,000 yuan, which is a price that 85% of users consider too high. The basic driving functions are sufficient for daily use. Why spend extra money? But in fact, the reason for not paying to unlock FSD is not just about "money".

When asked why users are unwilling to pay to unlock FSD, unsurprisingly, over 50% of users cite the high cost. But 32.7% of users also say they don't trust intelligent driving and think it's useless. Although intelligent driving has developed to a level close to L3, there are still many users who have doubts about safety or do not understand how to use it. All these require more knowledge dissemination.

Can the Model Y L successfully break through the circle?

Whether the Model Y L can successfully break through the circle depends on "people and harmony". So, what are its potential users like? According to research data, the potential users of the Model Y L mainly come from high-line cities, accounting for 44.2%. By province, Jiangsu Province ranks first. Users in high-line cities are more receptive to new things, and most importantly, their economic capabilities are relatively stronger.

48.4% of users have an annual household income of over 300,000 yuan, and a monthly payment of 6,642 yuan should not be a problem. Nearly 90% of them are married and have children, and they have a higher demand for six-seat models. Especially those who own Model Y and Model 3, they are more likely to upgrade to the Model Y L within the same brand.

Can the Tesla Model Y L successfully break through the circle? It is still unknown. But it is certain that, unlike other products, Tesla's residual value and range reliability are not weaknesses. Coupled with the potential and large base of potential and existing users, the "people and harmony" shortcoming can be considered fully compensated.

A new wave in the mid-to-high-end pure electric vehicle market may be about to be initiated.

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Can Tesla Break the Spell of the Unpopular 300,000-yuan Pure Electric Vehicle Market?