You’ve got heard it from the horse’s—er, CEO’s—mouth: Tesla is not going to be releasing a refreshed Mannequin Y in 2024. For individuals who have been ready on a Highland Mannequin 3-style replace to Tesla’s top-selling crossover, the dangerous information is that they will have to attend some time longer.
Regardless of robust rumors of an upcoming refresh, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the automaker has no plans to launch an up to date model of its standard Mannequin Y electrical crossover at the moment. However he careworn that the present vehicles maintain seeing continuous enhancements by way of software program updates.
Tesla’s Non-Customary Improve Course of
Tesla has lengthy been a proponent of upgrading its automobiles because it produces them, together with stripping out sensors and pushing over-the-air software program upgrades that maintain the automobiles feeling recent. Nonetheless, like most automakers, Tesla finally wants to offer a automobile a makeover to maintain folks . The Mannequin Y will not be getting that improve in 2024, in response to Elon Musk.
Discuss of a refreshed Mannequin Y, codenamed “Juniper,” has been swirling for fairly a while. When Tesla launched its refreshed Mannequin 3 Highland in Europe final 12 months, potential consumers turned desirous to see what Tesla had cooking for the crossover. That was very true after they noticed with some somewhat spectacular enhancements to the Mannequin 3 platform and the swanky new Mannequin 3 Efficiency hitting the U.S. final month.
However that will not be taking place in 2024, at the very least not in response to Musk.
“No Mannequin Y ‘refresh’ is popping out this 12 months,” wrote Musk as a reply to a publish on his social media platform, X. “I ought to observe that Tesla constantly improves its vehicles, so even a automotive that’s six months newer will likely be slightly higher.”
It might be exhausting to fathom a world the place consumers ignore a refreshed Mannequin Y. In spite of everything, America’s urge for food for crossovers is seemingly insatiable, and Tesla’s EV crossover was topped the world’s best-selling automotive in 2023. So when Tesla started to decelerate Mannequin Y manufacturing in China final month (which is the place Tesla started manufacturing of the Mannequin 3 Highland refresh), folks started to theorize that Tesla might be gearing up for a refreshed Mannequin Y.
With Musk’s affirmation, we now know that is not the case.
Tesla has been in a gross sales droop recently, identical to it warned would occur throughout a quarterly earnings name earlier this 12 months. Consumers have been flocking to the chance to purchase Tesla’s latest sedan stateside, however with its actual breadwinner nearing its fifth birthday, prospects could also be getting used to seeing the identical ol’ crossover on the street.
And with Tesla enhancing its automobiles primarily by way of over-the-air updates, present consumers could forego an improve and drive their present Mannequin Y till the wheels fall off if there isn’t any large distinction in appears to be like or hardware-based options.
So when precisely will Tesla launch a refreshed Mannequin Y? Effectively, that will be anyone’s guess.
Tesla’s current give attention to autonomy factors its focus on the upcoming Cybercab which is slated to be debuted in simply two brief months. The automaker was additionally lately slammed for putting its autonomy bets forward of a $25,000 mass-market EV (codenamed “NV91”) stated to be a “slimmed-down Mannequin Y.” As an alternative, it could goal to introduce that mannequin subsequent 12 months.
We all know that the Cybercab and NV91 are rumored to be constructed on a shared platforms. However given the minimal modifications within the Mannequin 3 Highland, the Mannequin Y Juniper refresh will possible endure related upgrades and comply with within the Mannequin 3 Highland’s footsteps somewhat than be outfitted with newer tech present in both next-gen automobile.
