Two camouflaged Tesla Model Ys have been spotted in China on Thursday, just two days after it was reported that Giga Shanghai would begin production of the Model Y refresh known as ‘Project Juniper.’
Earlier this week we told you about rumours coming out of China that Giga Shanghai would start trial production of the Model Y refresh on October 22, 2024. According to those rumours, the production would be limited to around 15 units per day, with the production area tightly controlled. Employees would be kept isolated from others and prohibited from using phones or other devices to prevent leaks.
Now just two days later and at least two different Model Ys have been spotted in Shanghai with the same camouflage we have seen on Project Juniper test cars in the US and Spain. However, these vehicles do have one difference in their design compared to the most recent sighting in Spain.
According to photos shared on social media, one presumed Model Y refresh with the 19″ Gemini Dark wheels was spotted on the back of a tow truck.
Meanwhile, a second Model Y with the same camouflage but with 20″ Induction wheels was also spotted in Shanghai.
This second sighting gave us a much better look at the Model Y, and this one had an interesting design change from the last sighting in Spain earlier this month – the license plate is back on the tailgate (right), whereas the test vehicle in Spain (left) had the license plate on the rear bumper.
We also see what appears to be much larger headlights that look like they extend lower into the front bumper than on the current Model Y. These could also be fog lights, although the Model 3 refresh did not come with separate fog lights, with Tesla integrating them into the headlight housing instead.
Given that Tesla is clearly testing these vehicles in Shanghai, as evidenced by the additional laptop in the vehicle above, it is a safe bet that Giga Shanghai did indeed start trial production this week, and these are likely among the first that rolled off the production line. This increases the likelihood of a potential release of the new Model Y, at least from Giga Shanghai, in the first quarter of 2025.
If Tesla does release the new Model Y in China in Q1, and follows a similar timeline as they did with the Model 3 refresh, which also launched first from Giga Shanghai, we could see a North American release in Q2.
