Tesla stocks on cheaper Model Y Juniper trims with white interior for US release

While Tesla started selling the cheapest Model Y Juniper versions in China and Europe already, it is yet to release a RWD trim or basic AWD variant in the US.

Here it is still only shipping the Model Y Launch Series edition that costs $60,000 before the tax credit subsidy because it comes bundled with the $8,000 FSD option, as well as premium accessories and exclusive Launch Series badging.

While the package deal on the 2026 Model Y is competitive, as the sum of its parts is greater than what the SUV currently goes for, a $60,000 tag only targets early adopters who are less price-conscious than those who simply want the new Model Y without FSD or other accoutrements.

For them, Tesla will soon release non-Launch Series versions, including the cheapest RWD Model Y Juniper refresh. The new trims are apparently already piling up at Tesla's factory parking lots as the company aims to stock up on inventory before the floodgates of pent-up demand open.

A drone overflight of the Gigafactory in Texas has set its cameras on manufactured Model Y Juniper refresh units that don't carry the exclusive rear liftgate badge of the Launch Series edition. This could only indicate that, after releasing the 2026 Model Y in the US as a $60,000 package deal, Tesla is now ready to price and sell cheaper AWD and RWD versions.

The new Model Y price in the US is still the big unknown, though, but if the global launch of the regular versions is any indication, Tesla will slightly increase the pricing. This means that the RWD Model Y Juniper price could start from a tad under $46,000 before the $7,500 federal tax credit or any other incentives.

Both in China and Europe, however, the new Model Y now offers longer range than its predecessor despite that it comes with the same battery and 250 kW charging system, thanks to a more aerodynamic design and a number of efficiency improvements.

Another reason to anticipate the launch of the cheaper Model Y AWD and RWD refresh versions in the US is that the Launch Series edition has been completely sold out of the white interior trim for a while. This might be one of the reasons why Tesla is now piling inventory at its Giga Texas factory before it puts the order configurator for the less expensive 2026 Model Y up on its website.

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