Last week, reports suggested that trial production of the upcoming refreshed 2025 Tesla Model Y had begun in Shanghai. Just days later, the first batch of the new model have been spotted, revealing key new details.
The first of two sightings was of multiple Model Y on the back of a transporter truck in Shanghai. One photo shows a black Model Y with the front and rear covered.
This photo shows the passenger seat being similar to the current Model 3, which was refreshed over 12 months ago.
Mr li shared this on X before being re-shared by Tesla Newswire, and soon after, another truck was spotted with multiple covered Model Y vehicles being driven away from Tesla’s Shanghai factory.
🔥🔥 The upgraded Tesla Model Y “Juniper” has been spotted in China, featuring the same seat design as the refreshed Model 3.
There appears to be a full truckload of them. https://t.co/bwSICSGSoU pic.twitter.com/kjjhlNMiWv
— Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) October 24, 2024
The next group of photos reveal new key details about the upcoming version of the world’s best-selling car.
A black Model Y was spotted being tested on the road, and engineers were seen sitting in the passenger seat with a laptop.
From the front, there is a lightbar that could run along the car’s width, which is not yet found on the current Model Y.
🔥🔥🔥 The upgraded Tesla Model Y “Juniper” was spotted in Shanghai, just 2 days after initial production began.
Pics suggest:
✅ Front light bar
✅ Lower section of the headlight separate from the light bar
✅ Same seats as the Model 3
✅ Rear indirect light bar (like the… https://t.co/koXYVQRGsB pic.twitter.com/BlWBm8cvgX— Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) October 24, 2024
If Tesla were to incorporate a light bar, then it would be similar to the Cybertruck and the recently unveiled Robotaxi, also known as the Cybercab.
Still looking at the front, the headlights have been moved lower and now sit underneath the light bar.
On the covered rear, when brakes are applied, there is a red glow that confirms the use of a rear lightbar, which is similar to the Cybercab.
This rear lightbar was also seen in some leaked photos earlier this year and will likely be incorporated in the 2025 Tesla Model Y.
The refreshed Model Y will form part of multiple new product reveals in 2025. These include the promise of more affordable models, which Tesla’s latest report confirmed will be in the first half of 2025.
On top of that, there is a high expectation that Tesla will also reveal the long-awaited Roadster, which is bound to showcase the limits of electric performance vehicles.
The refreshed Model Y is expected to go into early volume production on this side of Christmas, with official reveal and deliveries likely in early Q1 2025.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
