Contrary to previous reports, Elon Musk and Tesla have categorically denied that the revised Tesla Model Y will be released this year. But a photo of the covered Tesla Model Y was taken by someone, and it may provide the first glimpse of the updated vehicle. Two things that are currently driving people crazy are how far the new Model Y can go and what to expect.
Many believed that the Tesla Model Y, which bears many similarities to the electric car, would get the Highland treatment soon after Tesla unveiled the redesigned Model 3. Yet, despite several reports that the updated Model Y would be released soon, that did not happen. Chinese bloggers reported that Giga Shanghai will begin producing an improved Model Y as early as this summer, followed soon after by plants in the US and Europe.
Tesla’s outspoken CEO Elon Musk has strongly disputed that an improved Tesla Model Y will be released soon. With no clear statement on the X, Musk said that “there is no Model Y refresh coming this year.” But for a lot of people, this meant that the Juniper update would arrive in January 2025 instead of September. Now that a photo of a covered Tesla Model Y has surfaced online, people are even more convinced – this could be the first glimpse of the updated crossover.
The photo was taken at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, and shows a Tesla Model Y with black cladding at the front and rear that is almost airtight. This is what the early test models of the updated Model 3 were wearing when they were first spotted in December 2022. It may not provide the necessary clarity on the adjustments Tesla is making to the Model Y, as those prototypes did not include all the design modifications of the current production vehicle.
The driver’s window was open, but the car was parked on the side of the road, and the amateur spy photographer was too timid to get close to the cabin and take a picture of it. Considering how many people, especially in Europe, were dissatisfied with this method, it may be clear from this that Tesla is testing the Model Y without the stem.
As soon as the image appeared on Reddit, Elon Musk shattered people’s expectations once again. He almost begged people to stop hinting about a possible new Tesla Model Y. Musk worries that the Osborne effect resulting from these speculations could hurt sales of the current model. Based on historical data, Musk is undoubtedly right. After the initial view of the prototype, Tesla had to wait about a year before starting Model 3 production in Europe and Asia.
A comparable period predicts the arrival of the updated Model Y in April 2025, if Tesla does not accelerate development. After all, instead of starting from scratch, the Model Y should benefit from the work completed on the Model 3. If this is the case, the official announcement should be made on an earnings call by the end of April or in the first quarter of 2025.