Tesla is preparing to enter limited trial production of the Model Y “Juniper” refresh at its Shanghai plant on October 22, according to a Chinese car blogger.
Tesla released its “Highland” Model 3 update last August, and it was a more significant update than we expected.
The headline features were a new front end, better performance, and a quieter cabin. But there have been many other interior improvements (and one major omission, the removal of the steering column graduations).
Since then, there has been speculation that a refresh of the Model Y is coming soon. Although the Model Y isn't as old as the Model 3 when it gets a refresh, it's clear that there will be a number of people now waiting for the Model Y refresh before buying a car.
So Tesla probably feels a great sense of urgency to update the Model Y, which is their (and the world's) best-selling car. The more people think that a renewal is coming soon, the more likely they are to resist purchasing decisions.
And while Tesla has said no Model Y refresh is coming “this year”, the year is coming to an end now, and we've seen plenty of hints of it coming soon throughout the year.
Months ago, we spotted a stealth prototype that clearly sported a “highland-like” front end and leaked undisguised images of the prototype's components.
Now there's more potential news, in the form of a report from a Chinese auto writer that claims production will begin this week at Tesla's gigafactory Shanghai.
The rumor was first posted by 胖虎Shawn (Fat Tiger Shawn), a Chinese auto writer, on Weibo.
However, it is reported that production will start slowly, with a rate of only 12 cars per day, and there will be strict restrictions on factory workers who make advanced models without announcement. It's unlikely the car will be available before the end of the year, as Tesla will focus on improving its Q4 numbers with the usual end-of-quarter rush.
This is also consistent with previous supply chain reports we've seen suggesting that the update will be available in Q1 of 2025.
Producing this car in Shanghai first would also suggest that it may not be available in North America before elsewhere. As was the case with the Model 3, the refresh arrived in Europe four months before it arrived in the US. So if this report is true, we may have an even longer wait on this side of the pond (either that, or Austin and Fremont have better infosec than Shanghai…).
While we don't yet know the details of the update, we can assume that many of the changes from the Model 3 will carry over to the Model Y.
In the spy photos, the front already looks to be carried over, and it could get the same efficiency improvements for improved aerodynamics. A quieter interior from the high use of acoustic glass seems possible, and many interior upgrades seem likely to come. That probably includes the removal of the steering column stem, so if you're looking for a Model Y with stubs, you don't have much time left (feel free to use our referral link in that case).
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