After the announcement of the Tesla Model 3 Highland at the end of summer, everyone is waiting for the update of the new facelifted Tesla Model Y. Let’s take stock of its release date, as well as what should change from the current version.
The new restyled Tesla Model 3 is getting a lot of attention, particularly because it marks the first real transformation for the American brand’s sedan released in 2017. As is often the case with Tesla, when there is a change, everything is different. is not necessarily better than the previous version. Indeed, the Tesla Model 3 Highland does less well than its predecessor on certain points (acceleration), while others are subject to individual judgment (absence of controls for the indicators in particular).
In any case, with so many new interior and exterior features for the smallest Tesla, its big sister, the Model Y may seem less attractive to potential customers. We are indeed entitled to wonder, when placing the order, if the latter is not at the end of the cycle, and if a new restyled Tesla Model Y will not arrive quickly.
We’re going to take stock of what we can expect from a new Tesla Model Y, and why we think it should arrive fairly quickly. Let us note, however, before starting that Tesla can surprise everyone and not do things exactly as we imagine: after all, Elon Musk’s company is well known for not always doing things exactly as we expect them to. .
A Model Y that remains a bigger Model 3
The Tesla Model Y was announced just three years after the Model 3, with one idea in mind to minimize production costs: making it a Model 3 XXL. Indeed, it will not escape anyone that from the front, the two vehicles had an undeniable family resemblance.
More than the exterior, inside the Model Y we found the same parts as the Model 3. The dashboard, the central console, the central screen and even the front seats were indeed the same on the two vehicles of the brand. The motors and batteries used are also similar on the two vehicles, which once again shows that in the eyes of the brand, Model 3 and Model Y are just a variation of the same platform.
Of course, as an SUV, the Tesla Model Y is taller than the Model 3, and so this must involve some adjustments, for example to the seats which are raised.
Regardless, Tesla has managed to pool as many parts as possible between its two most popular vehicles, allowing it to offer an almost unbeatable price on both. And of course, when the American brand updated one car in terms of hardware, the other followed some time later, always.
We can for example cite the arrival of the new central console on the Tesla Model 3 in 2021, with the Model Y which followed a few weeks later, or the almost simultaneous arrival of the AMD Ryzen processor on board the two electric cars.
Today, the two cars seem more different than ever, with a considerable lead in hardware development for the Model 3. However, so far, the Model Y remains the king of the catalog, with sales only declining. continue to break records. However, this could change, as we will see.
Sales that are not weakening… for the moment
Until now, the Tesla Model Y was the sales star. The fashion for SUVs has gradually slipped from Uncle Sam’s country to the old continent, and no market seems spared. The year 2023 marked a turning point for Tesla, which continues sales record after sales record with the Model Y, which went so far as to become the best-selling car on the planet, all engines combined, in the first half of the year.
We can notice that it is ahead of the Tesla Model 3 in terms of sales, which can be explained quite easily so far. In fact, in most markets where both vehicles are offered, the price difference is less than 10%. Put another way, ordering a Model Y rather than a Model 3 costs the customer only 10% more, to find a car that is much more practical.
The gigantic tailgate at the back of the Tesla Model Y is a definite plus for anyone who frequently carries a lot of stuff. Also, the rear seats are more comfortable on a Model Y thanks to the front seats which are higher, which allows tall people to put their feet under the seat easily.
However, with the restyling of the Tesla Model 3, many prospective customers may be tempted to pause their Model Y order. Unfortunately for Elon Musk’s firm, the factories are running at full capacity and this is not in the house’s habits of keeping vehicles on park while waiting for them to find a buyer.
The only viable solution for the Tesla Model Y if it must continue to sell in very large numbers and ensure that it remains very attractive to all customers. In other words, it needs to be updated to be on par with the new Tesla Model 3. Let’s see together what we could expect from the future Tesla Model Y?
What can we expect from the restyled Tesla Model Y?
If we follow the logic of the Tesla Model Y which remains a Tesla Model 3 There is also a leaked code name concerning the future Model Y, and it is “Juniper”.
The Tesla Model Y Juniper would therefore regain an exterior appearance comparable to the new Tesla Model 3, with restyled front headlights, for an even sportier light signature than currently. Likewise, the rear of the electric SUV would be reworked, the Tesla logo giving way to the name of the brand, as is the case on the Model S, Model X and now Model 3. Our colleagues from the automobile-proper site have moreover imagined in images what this Model Y juniper would look like.
The Cx could drop slightly, enough to ensure greater autonomy for the new Tesla Model Y. But without a doubt, the biggest changes will be visible once you open the door.
In China, we have already seen the beginning of modifications to the interior of the firm’s famous electric SUV, where the rest of the steps can be easily guessed: the controls behind the steering wheel will disappear, the seats will be modified to recover the new design seen on the Model 3 (and become ventilated at the same time), the center console will be equipped with a screen for the rear passengers, and all the other numerous improvements of the Model 3 will arrive on the Model Y.
However, this next step will probably not happen before Tesla’s official announcement, and will involve a shift in production lines. In other words, there will necessarily be a pause in the production of Tesla Model Y in certain factories, so the moment will have to be chosen intelligently by Tesla so as not to weigh down its sales figures.
Finally, we can reasonably think that the next phase for Tesla will be to formalize the new Tesla Model 3 in the USA (where the old version is still produced), as well as complete the range by announcing the Tesla Model 3 Performance version 2024. And only once this is done, the Tesla Model Y juniper will be able to see the light of day.
When will the new Tesla Model Y be released, and at what price?
It is likely that the first quarter of 2024 will see the arrival of the new Tesla Model Y. Indeed, the end of the year is coming and between the release of the Cybertruck and the availability of the new Tesla Model 3 in the United States which is not yet done, it would be surprising if Tesla updated the online configurator for the new Tesla Model Y.
In the first quarter of 2024, it would be around 6 months since the first production lines were revised to accommodate the Model 3 Highland, which leaves enough time to devote to those dedicated to the Model Y. Moreover, this would probably coincide with the release of the Model 3 Highland in the USA, and the same scheme would be applied to the Model Y.
Recent information at the level of rumor, relayed by Bloomberg, announces the start of production of the new restyled Tesla Model Y from mid-2024. But be careful, because the new version could first be produced at the Shanghai Gigafactory, depriving it of bonuses in France, before production moved to Berlin, Germany.
In this case, it would first be updated in the new factories (Austin, Berlin, Shanghai) then finally in the Fremont factory in California. Of course, these are only assumptions, however the current situation does not seem tenable for very long for the Texan firm.
It’s hard to imagine Tesla continuing to do what it does today and having to manage two different versions of the equipment on board the same factory (in Shanghai, we produce both Model 3 Highlands and Model Ys), which is more complex and difficult to manage in terms of orders and stocks. To lower prices as the brand is now accustomed to doing, it is important to have as many pieces in common within its range.
We can reasonably believe that Tesla is waiting to sell off its remaining stocks of equipment dedicated to the Model Y (seats, steering wheel, etc.), and once stocks are at their lowest, will switch to the new version by updating the production lines.
Finally, if the strategy applied with the Tesla Model 3 is identical to the new version of the Model Y, we should expect an increase of 1,000 euros on the entry-level price of the Tesla Model Y Propulsion. This would place it at 46,990 euros, while the Model Y Grande Autonomie would be at 53,990 euros. And the Tesla Model Y Performance, if it arrives simultaneously, would cost 60,990 euros. These prices are without ecological bonus, the rules of which for 2024 will change significantly, effectively excluding most Teslas.
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