Tesla (TSLA) has begun the production of the design-refreshed 2025 Model Y Juniper electric SUV at its Gigafactory in Shanghai, China this week.
However, the automaker has been stealthy about its details or the final design. Even as the vehicle has hit the assembly lines at Giga Shanghai, what has been circulating on social media are just a few pictures with covered front and back sides of the vehicle.
Tesla is still hiding the design of the new Model Y Juniper while transporting these vehicles from the factory. The early production units are covered to hide the new design refresh facelift changes.
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the new Tesla Model Y Juniper being discussed in forums and on social media. Some believe that the design-refreshed Model Y will be significantly different from the new Model 3 Highland. According to some, both of these vehicles will have the same front and rear fascias.
I am personally inclined towards the 2nd opinion. Since the original generation of both vehicles shared several components and design elements, the same strategy will continue for the next generation as well.
The rear and back lights are expensive parts of a vehicle. Tesla Model 3 and Model Y cars sharing the same lights and other components is a good business choice for Tesla. The production of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles is streamlined this way, these vehicles share parts and Tesla does not need to build and produce them separately for each vehicle. This also helps achieve economies of scale for shared parts as both are Tesla’s top-selling electric vehicles globally.
So, design wise, Tesla Model Y Juniper will most probably look like the new Model 3 Highland.
So far, Tesla has been successful in hiding the Model Y Juniper’s design from the eyes of the world. However, it will not be for long as the vehicle reaches Chinese showrooms and into the hands of the customers.
The automaker will also have a regional reveal ceremony in China followed by Europe (as production starts at Giga Berlin).
In the past few months, the rumors of a US launch of the Model Y refresh became stronger but Elon Musk categorically denied it’s coming to North America this year.
In an X post from June, he said, “No Model Y “refresh” is coming out this year”.
Tesla enthusiasts have been sharing fan-made concept renders of the Model Y Juniper. They got close to the Robotaxi design but this time they may be wrong altogether.
Musk even asked Tesla fans to stop spreading rumors and leaked images as it was hurting the existing Model Y sales. Model Y Juniper refresh might hit the US mid of next year (2025), so stay tuned for updates.
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