A new Tesla Model Y refresh, commonly referred to as Project Juniper, has been spotted in California. While this isn’t the first time a test vehicle has been spotted, this is the first time a Performance trim has been seen on public roads.
The Model Y was spotted by X user Yann Masoch in Palo Alto, California, home to Tesla’s engineering headquarters, and also where the majority of Juniper sightings have taken place. What immediately stood out about this test vehicle is that it was finished in Ultra Red, and not the typical Black we have seen all other test vehicles painted in. However, there was much more.
Another aspect immediately noticeable are the wheel covers, which didn’t cover the entire wheel, but left enough room for us to see they were the same 19″ Nova wheels released on the new Model 3. Since these aren’t new, why was Tesla attempting to hide them? Probably to cover the red brake calipers found on the Performance trim.
Leading more credence to the theory that this is a Performance trim, the front bumper cover showed what appears to be a vertical vent, similar to what is found on the new Model 3 Performance front bumper. Additionally, the back bumper cover also appears to bee hiding a spoiler on the trunk, another feature exclusive to the Performance trim.
One other new feature that was not covered or hidden on this test vehicle is the side mirror, which now has an accent line across it, instead of a smooth cover. Interestingly, another test vehicle was spotted on Wednesday with its side mirror covered, suggesting this is in fact a new design feature that will be released on the new Model Y.
New Tesla Model Y Release Date
Tesla has obviously not provided any indication of when the new version of the Model Y will be released, as they do not want to impact sales of the current version. However, based on the increased number of test cars being spotted out on public roads in recent weeks, it would not be surprising to see an announcement in the first quarter of 2025.
Given that Tesla first released the new Model 3 from Giga Shanghai, and then a few months later in North America, Tesla could follow the same release schedule for the new Model Y. Although there has been speculation that Tesla could be planning a simultaneous launch from Giga Shanghai, Giga Berlin, and Giga Texas and Fremont.
