New Tesla Model Y: Project Juniper

The Name: Project Juniper

Everyone is calling the Tesla Model Y "Juniper", which made me curious what is "Juniper". "Juniper" is a type of an evergreen tree known for its hardiness and resilience surviving under adverse conditions. Juniper tree is found mainly in Northern hemisphere from Arctic to Tropical Africa and even also in some parts of Asia as well as central America. Juniper Spices are typically used in the production Gin. Giving a codename to the project is a standard procedure. I believe that the name Juniper references to the robustness and advanced features of the upcoming Tesla Model Y, that will be resilient and keep its track record of world's best selling EV.

Sleek and Modern Exterior Updates

Tesla is the company which doesnt bring facelift edition too frequently as other car manuacturers do. The new Tesla Model Y will have split headlight set up, like most of the other SUVs on sale. However it will give a distinct look than the Model 3. The Model Y will also have a refreshed rear C-shaped lights connected with a light bar. This design element is quite common in German Cars since last 2 years. The front bumper has been redesigned to keep the drag coefficient low and improving the aerodynamics while maintaining the aesthetic apeal. Overall the New Model Y will have similar tall boy appearance with refreshed sleek and modern design.

Redefined Interiors

Tesla was one of the first automotive company that introduced the big touch screens and removed all the dashboard buttons. While maintaining the legacy, the new Tesla Model Y will also undergo some changes in the interiors to provide more comfort to the passengers. The new Tesla Model Y will not have Gear Shifter and turn indicator levers, as it will be replaced by Touch Sensitive buttons mounted on steering wheel. (But Why??) Yeah, Tesla wants to keep the interior design clean. The new Model Y will have updated infotainment screen, we still dont know the size of the screen. Additionally, a new touch screen will be introduced to the rear passengers, I believe it will be offered optional. We expect that Tesla will introduce high quality materials to keep up in the competition. Overall the interiors will be refreshed focused on minimalistic design approach.

Enhanced Performance and Range

Since the launch of Tesla, the performance was at the core of every vehicle. Therefore we can expect that the Tesla Model Y will be packed with better performance. However the Model Y will carry over the same powertrain, however the performance enhancement will be achieved via better battery management and software enhancement. There are news that the new Tesla Model Y will be offered with a long wheel base variant offering a third row seating. Overall we expect similar performance of Tesla Model Y delivering power output of 503 hp with 670 Nm torque and range of 430 km (267 miles) on a full charge and the battery capacity is 82 kWh.

Production and Launch timeline

The new Tesla Model Y will be produced in giga factory of China and the production will start in January 2025. We expect that the Tesla will start delivering the new Tesla Model Y by end of Q1 or early Q2 of 2025. For Tesla the China is also one of the biggest market and Model Y is one of the highest selling EV in China as well. We believe that the early production version of Tesla Model Y will be produced in China and later the production will take place in other giga factories of across the globe.

Summary

Overall the new Tesla Model Y looks a promising car coming up with its refreshed avatar and stay resilient like the Juniper tree. I am excited to have a hands on driving experience of the Model Y in 2025.
I will try my best to deliver the exclusive review on the new Tesla Model Y.

Let me know your comments in the section below or write me on writetous@themotoringminute.com

Image Credits: Tesla official website, KGP Photography and Edmunds.com

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