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A report is claiming that the Tesla Model Y refresh might be coming in the next few months as the automaker plans a factory shutdown at Gigafactory Shanghai.

Last summer, Tesla launched the refresh version of the Model 3 in Asia, Pacific, and Europe.

The new version of the popular electric sedan has yet to arrive in North America, and yet, Tesla has been rumored to already be preparing a refresh of Model Y, which is closely related to Model 3.

The updated version of the electric SUV is expected to bring some of the same changes introduced in the new Model 3, along with a few more unique features.

Now a new report from Bloomberg claims that Tesla is preparing to bring the new version of Model Y in production in the coming months.

The reports mentions volume production in “mid-2024” at Gigafactory Shanghai:

The US electric carmaker is currently conducting preparation work in China for its refreshed Model Y sport utility vehicle and mass production may start as soon as mid-2024, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public.

But it also says that a first batch might come following a factory shutdown and upgrade during the New Year holiday:

The first batch of the newest Model Ys will be made from the second phase of Tesla’s Shanghai facility, which will suspend production for around a week during the New Year holiday for a partial upgrade, one of the people said. More adjustments will have to be made prior to mass production, they added.

It’s unclear if this is the upcoming New Year holiday next week or the Chinese Lunar New Year in February.

The report also states that the refresh is going to feature “much more obvious exterior and interior changes” than the Model Y update in China in October, which featured new ambient lighting and some performance upgrades.

This new upgrade would be more significant and likely the project codenamed Juniper that we have been hearing about since earlier this year.

Electrek’s Take

Not many details in this report, but it does sound like Tesla is preparing to launch the new version of Model Y.

It is going to be interesting to see how Tesla handles the transition because Model Y is currently Tesla’s cash cow.

Any slowdown in production volume amid a switch to a new version will have a major impact on the automaker’s business. A smooth versus difficult production transition could make all the difference in Tesla’s Q1 2024 performance.

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If you’ve wanted a high-end mid-drive e-bike, the $1,295 Prodigy XC is an insane deal

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If you've wanted a high-end mid-drive e-bike, the ,295 Prodigy XC is an insane deal

Fancy German-made mid-drives are often considered the premier option for electric bikes, offering higher precision engineering and an overall more sophisticated experience. But they’ve also been quite pricey, at least until Ride1Up began running an incredible sale on its normally $2,195 Prodigy XC electric mountain bike, marked down to just $1,295.

I reviewed the urban version of this bike back when it was at full price, and it was a great buy even at its MSRP. But now with this killer Black Friday price, this is a deal that is unlikely to ever be seen again.

The Class 3 electric bicycle can hit speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), and comes with all the benefits of that nice Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive motor. That means you get the smooth and refined torque sensor-based pedal assist, the color screen, and the higher-end ride quality.

Other nice components found on the bike include the Maxxis Forekaster off-road tires, the Tektro quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and the 120mm-travel air suspension fork.

At this price, Ride1Up is almost certainly selling the bike at below cost, meaning you’re getting it for less than it costs the company to build these highly-acclaimed e-bikes.

Why would they do that? Because this is the previous generation of the bike, which was eclipsed by the second-generation Prodigy V2. But hey, if this bike was good enough when it came out a year before the V2 (and it was), then it still a great bike today. For those who don’t need the nicest and newest version of a piece of tech, this is an incredible steal of a deal.

Ride1Up is all but certain to be moving these Prodigy XCs at such a low price to clear up shelf space in their warehouse, so when these are gone, they’re gone for good. And this isn’t only a Black Friday price – the company has been moving these bikes for several months at this crazy sale price. That further underscores that this is a clear-out-the-previous-version sale that will be gone for good when the bikes are gone.

At this price, there’s simply no other German-made mid-drive e-bike out there with the bang-for-buck offered by the $1,295 Prodigy XC right now, that’s for sure.

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Oil watchers say inflation risks will stave off Trump’s Canada tariff threat

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Oil watchers say inflation risks will stave off Trump's Canada tariff threat

Working oil pumps against a sunset sky.

Imaginima | E+ | Getty Images

Higher fuel prices could be in the cards if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his tariff threats on Canada, according to industry experts, who are skeptical on whether the new levies will ever be implemented.

Trump on Monday pledged to implement additional tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico on day one of his presidency, according to his posts on social media platform Truth Social. He said he would sign an executive order on Jan. 20 imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, a move that may breach the terms of a regional free trade agreement.

Goldman Sachs’ Co-Head of Global Commodities Research Daan Struyven said that if a 25% levy hit Canadian crude exports to the U.S. “that could, in theory, lead to some pretty significant consequences for three groups.”

U.S. refiners who rely on Canadian oil barrels could face lower profit margins, and consumers may potentially face higher prices, surmised Struyven. Lastly, Canadian producers may suffer revenue losses if they are unable to reroute their barrels that would have otherwise gone to the U.S.

America’s imports of Canadian crude oil hit a record of 4.3 million barrels per day in July 2024 after the expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

If we were to see a 25% tariff on Canadian energy exports, I think it could have some very significant ramifications for trade flows.

Daan Struyven

Goldman Sachs

Additionally, refiners in the Midwest, which are more adapted to process Canada’s heavy sour crude rather than the low sulfur sweet crude produced domestically, could also have problems switching should the Canadian imports be interrupted, Struyven told journalists at an online conference.

“If we were to see a 25% tariff on Canadian energy exports, I think it could have some very significant ramifications for trade flows,” Struyven said. 

Mexico and especially Canada have “notable tightly integrated linkages” with the U.S. when it comes to the oil, natural gas and auto industries, Citigroup wrote in a note following Trump’s announcements this week. 

“Absent carve-outs, this would increase costs for U.S. refiners and U.S. consumers,” said the bank’s research team led by Energy Strategist Eric Lee.

However, Goldman highlighted that it is unlikely that the tariffs will be implemented as announced, on the premise that the Trump administration is focused on reducing energy costs.

Mexico and Canada tariffs would 'never be introduced', but there will be no rollbacks for China

Trump cannot allow inflation to get out of control in the 15 months before the midterm election season, Viktor Shvets, global strategist at Macquarie Capital, told CNBC. Shvets believes that tariffs are used as a negotiating tool to achieve certain objectives such as strengthening the border.

“I do not believe for a second that there will be a massive increase in overall tariffs because that will represent a tax on U.S. domestic manufacturers. That will also represent a tax on U.S. exporters,” said Shvets.

Canada’s trade bodies have shared their concerns, too.

“As Canadians, we need to be eyes-wide-open on the President-elect’s promise for across-the-board tariffs,” the CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Lisa Baiton, reportedly said.

Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta which accounts for the largest production of crude in Canada, said that the Trump administration has “valid concerns related to illegal activities at our shared border,” and urged the federal government to resolve said issues immediately to avoid any “unnecessary tariffs” on Canadian exports.

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Gavin Newsom isn’t afraid of Elon, 650 hp Kia EV6, and Green Machine deals

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Gavin Newsom isn't afraid of Elon, 650 hp Kia EV6, and Green Machine deals

On today’s fact-checking episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got a showdown brewing between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an updated 650 hp Kia EV6 GT that’s ready to take on the world, and some sweet deals on battery-powered goodies.

We’ve also got new electric buses at UCLA that are powered by inductive current in the road itself, and a massive new solar project on a site more famous for coal than clean. All this and a little bit of fact-checking on some fresh musky nonsense – enjoy!

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more at this link.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

Read more: E-quipment highlight | Palfinger FLS 25 eDRIVE truck mounted forklift.

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