Tesla confirmed that it currently has no plans to launch Project Juniper, the Model Y refresh, in the North American market this year, Teslascope reports on X, citing the company’s email to its nationwide stores.
Brief background
Reports from last year suggest that Tesla was developing a refreshed version of the Model Y, codenamed Project Juniper.
At that time, unnamed sources reportedly claimed that the refresh Model Y would start production in October 2024. Then, the Musk-led company released the new Tesla Model 3 Highland in the Chinese market. It stimulated further speculations that Tesla China will finally kick off the production of the Model Y Juniper in mid-2024.
In addition, Tesla has also been cutting the prices of its Tesla Model Ys in the North American market. It recently reduced the electric SUV’s price by $4,300 in Canada and by $1,000 in the US. These moves hint at Tesla’s efforts to empty inventory before the launch of the refreshed Model Y.
However, the speculations seem to delay customers’ decision to buy the electric SUV, potentially causing a slowdown in the brand’s sales this quarter. In response, Tesla moved to clarify the rumours.
Announcement
Tesla reportedly emailed its stores throughout the US to clarify that the highly awaited Model Y refresh will not arrive in North America this year.
“It is important that we communicate transparently that there is no refresh for Model Y launching this year.”
Tesla
As you can observe, Tesla’s email seems to urge customers to proceed with their plans to purchase the Model Y now instead of waiting for the speculated upgrade later this year.
The customers’ strategy to wait for the new Model Y is unsurprising, considering the notable upgrades they may get from Project Juniper. For instance, they can benefit from new features already available in Model 3 Highland in Australia, including the following:
- A quieter cabin
- More comfortable ride
- Ambient lighting
- Upgraded dashboard
- Rear infotainment screen
- Improved camera hardware
- Upgraded sound system
- Upgraded exterior design with slimmer headlights
- Extended range
Tesla starts updating Model Y in China
It is worth noting that some of the abovementioned changes have already started reaching the Tesla Model Y, but only for those available in the Chinese market.
Tesla recently introduced new ambient lighting to the Model Y from the Giga Shanghai-made units available in the country. As of today, these changes are not present in the brand’s online configurator in Australia.
Tesla also upgraded the Tesla Model Y’s hardware to 4.0 in China earlier this month. It includes newer cameras to enable more precise self-driving capabilities.
Interestingly, it seems that Tesla plans to keep these upgrades to Chinese-spec Tesla Model Ys for now as it struggles with major competition in the world’s largest auto market.
Beyond China, Tesla will continue offering the current Model, with a sales target of more than 1.2 million units for the electric crossover alone this year.
