Tesla Model Y refresh starts production Oct 22, says Chinese social media
Tesla is preparing to enter limited trial production of the new Model Y “Juniper” refresh in its Shanghai factory on October 22nd, according to a Chinese car blogger.
Tesla released its “Highland” Model 3 refresh last August, and it was a much more significant overhaul than we were expecting.
The headline features were a new front-end, more efficiency, and a quieter cabin. But there were a lot of other interior improvements as well (and one big de-provement, the deletion of steering column stalks).
Since then, there has been speculation that a Model Y refresh is coming soon. While the Model Y is not currently as old as the Model 3 was when it received its refresh, it stands to reason that there would be a number of people who are now waiting for a potential Model Y refresh before buying the car.
So Tesla likely feels more of a sense of urgency to update the Model Y, which is their (and the world’s) best-selling vehicle after all. The more people think a refresh is coming soon, the more they might push off buying decisions.
And while Tesla said there’s no Model Y refresh coming “this year”, the year is almost over now, and we’ve seen plenty of indications of it coming soon throughout the year.
In recent months, we have seen a camouflaged prototype clearly sporting a new “highland-like” front end and leaked uncamouflaged pictures of parts of the prototype.
Now there’s more potential news, in the form of a report from a Chinese car blogger who said trial production will begin this week in Tesla’s Shanghai gigafactory.
The rumor was first posted by 胖虎Shawn (Fat Tiger Shawn), a Chinese car blogger, on Weibo.
However, production will reportedly start slow, at a rate of just 12 vehicles a day, and with strict restrictions on factory workers making the unannounced upgraded model. It is not likely for the car to be available before the end of the year, as Tesla would put its focus on shoring up its Q4 numbers with its usual end-of-quarter rush.
This also meshes with previous supply chain reports we’ve seen suggesting the refresh would be available in Q1 of 2025.
Producing the car in Shanghai first also would suggest that it may not be available in North America before elsewhere. As was the case with the Model 3, the refresh came to Europe four months before it came to the US. So if this report is true, we may be waiting for even longer on this side of the pond (either that, or Austin and Fremont have better infosec than Shanghai does…).
While we don’t yet know the details of the refresh, we can imagine that many of the changes from the Model 3 would be carried over to the Model Y.
In spy photos, the front end already looks to be carried over, and it might receive similar efficiency improvements from improved aerodynamics. A quieter interior from higher use of acoustic glass seems likely, and most of the interior improvements also seem like they would carry over. That probably also includes the steering column stalk deletion, so if you’re looking for a Model Y with stalks, you don’t have a lot of time left (feel free to use our referral link in that case).
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.
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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.
Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT
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