New Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ to have Xpeng-like full-width LED strip, sources say

Updated Tesla Model Y, codenamed Juniper, will feature a strip of LED lights that extend across the entire front and rear of the vehicle, a Chinese car blogger claimed, citing sources familiar with the matter.

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Although the final design of the refreshed Model Y has yet to be revealed, several spy shots have already surfaced, showing the Model Y Juniper will have split headlights. Chinese car blogger SugarDesign claims it will also feature a full-width LED light bar in front and rear, citing spy shot hints and previous insider sources.

SugarDesign also created the renders based on spy shots, showing the look of the new Model Y. They add Tesla is taking notes from China EVs’ playbook, alluding to Xpeng’s full-width LED light bar, which is a signature design language for its whole model lineup.

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New Model Y will launch in Q1 2025, company CEO Elon Musk previously announced. According to CarNewsChina information, mass production will start in late November in Tesla’s Giga Shanghai plant. Any electronic devices were banned in the workshop in October following the leaks about the trial production start.

Last year, in September, Tesla started the production of an updated Model 3 ‘Highland’ in Giga Shanghai. The first batches were for export only, as domestic sales started in October.

The Model Y spyshots with split headlights and adjusted rear already revealed that the new design won’t be just a copy of the current Model 3 design language.

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Tesla sold 460,200 EVs in China so far in 2024 (January – September), up 6.1% from the same period last year and 2.9% market share in China, according to China EV DataTracker. In September Tesla sold 72,200 EVs, up 66% from last year.

Today, Tesla has extended its 5-year, 0% interest loan incentive in China through November 30, offering buyers of certain Model 3 and Model Y variants a continuation of the financing benefit that started in April. This move is not surprising as China’s EV price war is far from over, and Tesla is under pressure from dozens of local EV startups launching its Model Y competitor, such as Onvo L60, Xpeng G6, or Zeekr 7X.