Tesla Takes a Page From Ford, GM and Toyota's Playbook With the Model Y L

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA ) may have just done something that would’ve been hard to imagine a few years ago: borrow a page from Detroit’s playbook. The company’s newly unveiled six-seat Model Y L isn’t just another version of its best-selling electric SUV. It also hints at a subtle but important shift in Tesla’s product strategy. One that looks increasingly familiar to legacy automakers that have spent decades squeezing more growth out of their biggest hits instead of constantly rolling out all-new vehicles. For years, CEO Elon Musk championed the opposite approach. Tesla built its reputation on a lean lineup, fewer configurations and manufacturing simplicity, arguing that limiting complexity was key to scaling production and protecting margins. The Model Y L suggests the company may now be willing to trade some of that simplicity for incremental growth....