You've heard it from the horse's—er, CEO's—mouth: Tesla will not be releasing a refreshed Model Y in 2024. For those who have been waiting on a Highland Model 3-style update to Tesla's top-selling crossover, the bad news is that they'll have to wait a while longer.
Despite strong rumors of an upcoming refresh, CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the automaker has no plans to launch an updated version of its popular Model Y electric crossover at this time. But he stressed that the current cars keep seeing continual improvements via software updates.
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Tesla's Non-Standard Upgrade Process
Tesla has long been a proponent of upgrading its vehicles as it produces them, including stripping out sensors and pushing over-the-air software upgrades that keep the vehicles feeling fresh. However, like most automakers, Tesla eventually needs to give a vehicle a makeover to keep people interested. The Model Y won't be getting that upgrade in 2024, according to Elon Musk.
Talk of a refreshed Model Y, codenamed "Juniper," has been swirling for quite some time. When Tesla released its refreshed Model 3 Highland in Europe last year, potential buyers became eager to see what Tesla had cooking for the crossover. That was especially true after they saw with some rather impressive improvements to the Model 3 platform and the swanky new Model 3 Performance hitting the U.S. last month.
But that won't be happening in 2024, at least not according to Musk.
"No Model Y 'refresh' is coming out this year," wrote Musk as a reply to a post on his social media platform, X. "I should note that Tesla continuously improves its cars, so even a car that is six months newer will be a little better."
It would be hard to fathom a world where buyers ignore a refreshed Model Y. After all, America's appetite for crossovers is seemingly insatiable, and Tesla's EV crossover was crowned the world's best-selling car in 2023. So when Tesla began to slow down Model Y production in China last month (which is where Tesla began production of the Model 3 Highland refresh), people began to theorize that Tesla could be gearing up for a refreshed Model Y.
With Musk's confirmation, we now know that isn't the case.
Tesla has been in a sales slump lately, just like it warned would happen during a quarterly earnings call earlier this year. Buyers have been flocking to the opportunity to buy Tesla's newest sedan stateside, but with its real breadwinner nearing its fifth birthday, customers may be getting used to seeing the same ol' crossover on the road.
And with Tesla improving its vehicles primarily through over-the-air updates, existing buyers may forego an upgrade and drive their current Model Y until the wheels fall off if there's no huge difference in looks or hardware-based features.
So when exactly will Tesla launch a refreshed Model Y? Well, that would be anybody's guess.
Tesla's recent focus on autonomy points its focus at the upcoming Cybercab which is slated to be debuted in just two short months. The automaker was also recently slammed for placing its autonomy bets ahead of a $25,000 mass-market EV (codenamed "NV91") said to be a "slimmed-down Model Y." Instead, it may aim to introduce that model next year.
We know that the Cybercab and NV91 are rumored to be built on a shared platforms. But given the minimal changes in the Model 3 Highland, the Model Y Juniper refresh will likely undergo similar upgrades and follow in the Model 3 Highland's footsteps rather than be equipped with newer tech found in either next-gen vehicle.
