Written by Akimoto Yukiko
The Tesla Shanghai factory is set to produce two upgraded versions of the Model Y. One is the refreshed Model Y, which is scheduled for mass production in January 2025, with the 6-seater version following later in the year.
The upgraded Model Y is expected to bring to the revamped Model 3, including changes to its exterior and interior design, battery capacity, and performance. The new version, codenamed “Juniper,” has been spotted in China but also in the U.S. during road tests.
The second version is a 6-seater Model Y, which is expected to be delivered in the last quarter of 2025.
The interior updates for the Model Y will focus on improving material quality and building craftsmanship, addressing previous criticisms while aiming to compete with the increasingly feature-rich Chinese EV market.
Based on multiple spy pictures, the new Model Y will feature a full-width red LED light bar at the rear, similar to those found on Rivian EVs.
Last month, several bloggers revealed that the new Model Y was already being produced on a small scale alongside the existing version at the Shanghai Gigafactory, with the official launch expected in January 2025. This was confirmed by the Chinese media outlet LatePost Auto on Wednesday.
As Tesla’s first overseas factory, the Shanghai Gigafactory began construction in January 2019 and began production within a year. Two years later, it became a key player in Tesla’s global manufacturing operations, supplying both the local market and exports to Asia and Europe.
Song Gang, Tesla’s head of the GigaShanghai, has just left the company to join a “local emerging car brand,” two people familiar with the matter told LatePost.
In 2021, Tesla delivered a total of 936,000 vehicles, with the Shanghai factory accounting for 51.7% of that figure. On October 11 of this year, the factory produced its 3 millionth vehicle. From January to November this year, approximately 30.2% of the factory’s production was exported, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). Additionally, Tesla’s sales in China rose 15.5% month-over-month in November, reaching 78,856 units.
As previously reported, Tesla has extended the estimated delivery time for the Model Y Standard Range in France and Belgium to May 2025, while the same variant is available for immediate delivery in Germany, the UK, and Spain.
In February, Tesla informed employees via email that the Tesla Model Y would not receive a facelift in North America in 2024. Since then, Elon Musk has repeatedly denied rumors about the launch of the new Model Y on the X social media platform.
Tesla registered 18,500 vehicles in China during the week of December 9-15, marking its third-highest weekly result this quarter, according to data shared by Chinese automaker Li Auto. The registrations included 12,870 Model Y and 5,582 Model 3 vehicles.
On the first day of December, Tesla extended its five-year, 0% interest loan offer in China for the Model 3 and Model Y until the end of the year. A week earlier, Tesla announced a 10,000 yuan ($1,370) discount on the Model Y, which can be combined with the 0% interest financing offer.
Globally, Tesla has stated it “expects to achieve slight growth in vehicle deliveries in 2024,” and aims to deliver more than 500,000 vehicles in a single quarter for the first time.
Written by Akimoto Yukiko
