Model Y Juniper release date set for March with larger 7-seater Tesla in tow

Faced with lagging sales and a stiffer competition in the crossover EV segment, Tesla is reportedly prepping several Juniper facelifts of its most popular Model Y vehicle.

Chinese supply chain sources are now confirming that the Model Y Juniper release date is indeed set for the first quarter of 2025. The Juniper refresh was supposed to appear next quarter, but Tesla prioritized other projects this year, such as the Cybertruck and 4680 battery production ramp, and the Robotaxi announcement.

Elon Musk has also reiterated that there will be no new Model Y this year, yet the SUV will have rolling upgrades with new features, so the Q1 launch claim here doesn't really come as a surprise.

This means that by April next year, Tesla will have launched a new Model Y with fresher design, streamlined interior, and new batteries. The first Juniper version to arrive, however, will be a 5-seater, with another one planned for Q4 of 2025.

Tesla is reportedly going to release a 7-seat Model Y in the holiday quarter of next year, but it may be a different concept than its current such version that simply throws two smallish extra seats in the trunk for a 2-3-2 configuration.

The 7-seat Juniper will reportedly be a larger version of the 2025 Model Y and might be developed with the Chinese market in mind first. Apparently, the electric family SUVs with six or seven seats have proved very popular there, so Tesla would want to capitalize on that trend alongside its competition.

Its main competitor in the US, the Hyundai/KIA conglomerate, already has larger electric SUVs on the market, and Lucid's first SUV, the Gravity, is precisely a 7-seater because its focus groups pegged it as the up-and-coming market segment.

In any case, the Model Y launched in 2020, so a Juniper facelift release in 2025 makes sense. It will probably boost Tesla's sales significantly then, after a "transitional" 2024 with no new models launched. Tesla also plans to have the first Robotaxi ride on public roads next year, as well as a cheaper version of the Cybertruck, so 2025 will be a busy one for Elon Musk's EV maker.

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