Tesla Model Y Juniper may be released early as trial production gets underway

Tesla might have introduced a slew of Model Y deals like 0% APR financing rate or zero down payment not only to pad the Q4 numbers, but also to incentivize those who are on the fence and waiting for the Juniper refresh that might be just around the corner.

According to a popular Chinese autoblogger, the Model Y Juniper release might happen earlier than anticipated. Tesla will reportedly start pilot production of a limited number of Model Y Juniper units at its Gigafactory in Shanghai as soon as this week.

Apparently, the Giga Shanghai team that just hit a milestone of 3 million vehicles produced there, and churns out a Tesla every 30 seconds, will only be making about 12 Model Y Juniper units a day. The limited number indicates that this would indeed be a trial Juniper production, just like Tesla did with the Model 3 Highland refresh, which started pilot production in very small batches a couple of months before its release in order to optimize the process for manufacturing en masse.

The Model 3 Highland, after which the front of the Model Y Juniper will allegedly be styled, started its pilot manufacturing at Giga Shanghai last August. Tesla released it in China at the end of October, and announced it for the US only in January. Thus, even if this rumor holds water, we are at least a few months away from a Juniper release.

The Gigafactory workers who would be responsible to assemble the test Model Y Juniper batches have reportedly been forbidden to take any phones on the premises to keep the exact design under wraps until Tesla announces the refresh.

We've already seen the supposed rear light bar as a new element, but the rest has been covered in camo on what might have been test mule sightings in the US and Europe. Again, the same process that Tesla went through while it prepared the Highland refresh release.

As for the exact Model Y Juniper specs, these are up in the air, but it is said to come with a large 95 kWh battery and have 800V powertrain architecture that will allow faster charging.

A 48V low-voltage system like on the Cybertruck could also be in store, given that Tesla open-sourced its 48V system efforts and said it will use it even for its cheapest cars like the Robotaxi or the eventual Model 2 from now on. The Model Y Juniper is also said to sport touchless frunk opening and have a 6-seater variant for sale in China, so that's what Tesla might be testing out in pilot production there now.

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