As we are patiently waiting for big announcements on Tesla’s 2023 Investor Day, a new report gives us information on an upcoming update for the Model Y with the code name “Project Juniper”. The electric crossover is said to feature a number of exterior and interior upgrades and is expected to enter production next year.
As reported by Reuters and according to unnamed sources close to the matter, Tesla has already asked suppliers for quotes about updated components of the Model Y and hopes to start production in October 2024. This puts it almost one year after the upcoming “Project Highland” upgrade for the Tesla Model 3 that will reportedly go into production in September 2023.
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The Model Y is Tesla’s best-selling vehicle in China and Europe, and alongside the closely-related Model 3 takes up most of its production capacity with more than 1.2 million sales in 2022. However, increased competition from Chinese rivals has put pressure on Tesla to upgrade its offerings in order to retain its status as the world’s most valuable automaker.
The Model Y was originally introduced in 2019, with production and deliveries starting in 2020. Tesla typically upgrades the software and hardware of its EVs over the years, but the “Project Juniper” sounds like a more extensive revamp. This would require Tesla to make changes in all of its major plants in the US, China, and Germany, where the Model Y is being manufactured. According to recent reports, the automaker is already retooling the factory in Shanghai, preparing it for the production of the updated Model 3.
Tesla did not comment on the reports but we expect to learn more about both the Project Juniper and the Project Highland at the Investor Day which will be broadcasted from the Texas Gigafactory later today. There, Elon Musk will also talk about Tesla’s next-generation platforms and the upcoming entry-level offering that is expected to cost significantly less than the Model 3/Y to produce.
