Tesla delivers first Model Y Juniper – in China

Tesla announced via its Weibo account that it has started deliveries of the facelifted Model Y in China. According to CN EV Post, the carmaker also posted a video highlighting the new features introduced with the facelift – such as the front and rear body design, the higher-quality interior and the longer standard range.

With the growing competition from domestic manufacturers in the highly competitive electric mid-size SUV segment, it is not a foregone conclusion that the Model Y will be able to build on the success of the pre-facelift model. In the video, Tesla seems confident. “Feel free to compare and you’ll know once you try it,” Tesla wrote in the Weibo post.

Competitors in China include the Xpeng G6, the Onvo L60 from Nio, the new Li i8 (the second BEV model from Li Auto) and the upcoming Xiaomi YU7, which should be delivered starting this summer. In response to Tesla’s request for a comparison with other vehicles, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun only replied “Ok” – so unsurprisingly, he thinks the YU7 will outperform the Model Y.

Tesla unveiled the Model Y Juniper in China and other markets supplied from Giga Shanghai on 10 January. Since then, two variants of the special Launch Series have been available to order in China – the base model with LFP battery and rear-wheel drive from 263,500 yuan (34,640 euros) and the Long Range variant with all-wheel drive (303,500 yuan/39,890 euros).

While the Launch Series is still available in China until 28 February, the variant is no longer available in most European countries – although orders there were only possible a few weeks later than in China. In Germany, the regular variants are now available, with the entry-level model starting at 44,990 euros.

According to the recently published ACEA figures for January, new Tesla registrations in Europe fell by 50 per cent to 7,517 vehicles. It is hard to say to what extent Elon Musk’s political activities deter potential customers, or whether it is a sign of buyer reticence ahead of the Model Y facelift. Things should be more apparent in April at the latest, as the new Model Y will be delivered in Europe starting in March.

More or less parallel to the start of deliveries of the revised Model Y, Tesla introduced another innovation in China. With a software update, some ‘FSD’ functions will be activated in China. Last September, Tesla announced that it would also bring Full Self Driving to China and Europe in Q1 2025. This date has now been met for China, but it is unlikely to happen in Europe by the end of March: Current reports, citing Tesla managers, are talking about a European launch “in a few months.”

Update 04 March 2025

Tesla has now also started deliveries of the revised Model Y in the USA. In China, deliveries had already started a few days ago. While the vehicles delivered in China come from Giga Shanghai, Tesla is building the Model Y for North America in the Fremont (California) and Austin (Texas) factories. Production has been running there since the beginning of February.

The vehicles that will be delivered first are the special ‘Launch Series’, which was available to order in the USA from 46,490 dollars. The regular versions are now also available from 31,490 dollars.

cnevpost.com, reuters.com (FSD), , teslarati.com (update)