Tesla Model Y facelift not due this year in the US, still a chance for Australia

A facelift for the Tesla Model Y – the world’s top-selling new car – will not go on sale in the US this year, the electric-car specialist has confirmed to staff.

However reports say an updated Model Y is on track for production in China – for markets such as China, Europe and Australia – in the second half of this year, pending any unforeseen delays.

Reportedly codenamed ‘Project Juniper’, it’s expected the Model Y facelift will draw from last year’s Model 3 sedan update, with refreshed exterior styling, updated suspension, and a simplified interior without indicator or gear selector stalks.

Tesla is yet to confirm plans for a facelifted Model Y, though news of its existence and development was broken by reputable media outlets Bloomberg and Reuters.

In an email to sales staff in the US – which was subsequently shared on social media – Tesla said “it is important that we communicate transparently that there is no refresh for Model Y launching this year”.

“We heard your feedback that some customers are waiting to place their Model Y order as they anticipate a refresh similar to Model 3 … There is no better time for customers to start driving the world’s best-selling vehicle,” the email said.

The notice only rules out a facelifted Model Y for US showrooms this calendar year.

It does not say there will not be a Model Y facelift for other markets this year – or that the updated Model Y is not due in US showrooms next year.

If the roll-out of the facelifted Model 3 is a guide – which saw the US-made version launch in early 2024, after the Chinese-built version in late 2023 – the updated Model Y may enter production in China in 2024 before the North American model, which is produced in the US, follows in early 2025.

Teslascope – an X (formerly Twitter) user with a strong track record for sharing advance information from Tesla sources – acknowledges there is a “different timeline” for the facelifted Model Y’s roll-out in Europe and China, compared to the US, but would not divulge further details.

The facelifted Model 3 was unveiled in September 2023, went into production at a similar time, launched in Europe in October, and arrived in Australia in late November for test drives and media previews ahead of customer deliveries from late December.