New ‘Juniper’ Model Y: first deliveries on Saturday March 8.
Tesla delivered the first Launch edition of the new “Juniper” Model Y to customers at handoff events at the Gigafactory in Austin, Texas and the plant in Fremont, Calif. on Saturday, the company announced on its X feed. Customers who attended the events were among the first to pick up the new Model Y. The new Model Y is sometimes referred to as “Juniper,” an erstwhile internal codename.
The Model Y was the best-selling EV in the U.S. in 2024 racking up sales of about 373,000 units, according to an estimate by Cox Automotive. The next closest competitor was the Ford Mustang Mach-E with sales of 51,745. CEO Elon Musk called the shift to the new Model Y in the U.S. a “massive factory retooling” during the Q4 2024 earnings call.
Updated Model Y early deliveries
The updated Model Y – which brings improvements like a smoother ride, a quieter cabin, and a new front and rear look – has already been delivered to a few, select early customers, according to reports. One person who placed an order for the new Model Y on January 23 got his Y on Saturday March 1.
The new Model Y All-Wheel Drive Launch edition began showing up at Tesla stores in the U.S. in February, including several at a Tesla store and service center in North Hollywood. A limited test drive of Full Self Driving on the new Model Y showed it to be getting closer to Waymo’s driverless taxi service.
Cheaper variants on the way
The price for the AWD Launch Edition is $59,990 and $52,490 with the $7,500 federal tax credit. Less expensive versions of the new Model Y are already available to order in Europe and China. Giga Berlin flipped to full Juniper production by mid-February, phasing out the legacy Model Y, per posts on X. When cheaper versions show up in the U.S., expect prices to be closer to the prior-generation Model Y, which is still being sold in the U.S. and starts at $44,490 for the rear-wheel drive model.
Arriving now: why the U.S. launch edition is expensive
The new Model Y Launch edition comes fully loaded – thus the high price – with standard features such as Full Self Driving (an $8,000 value), a tow package (a $3,500 value), and any choice of wheels and paint color, both $2,000 values.
