The Model Y Juniper refresh has been rumored to be coming soon, and this time, user Abomb1997 on Reddit has claimed that the two images in this article are the refreshed Juniper.
The refreshed Model Y, codenamed “Juniper” won’t be arriving in 2024 according to Elon Musk, but we’ve started seeing what we expect to be prototype engineering vehicles. We’ve previously seen that front bumper camera, which is already on the Cybertruck and is also expected to arrive on the Model S and Model X.
There was a considerable amount of speculation on the refreshed Model 3 Highland coming with a bumper camera, but it didn’t arrive with one. It could be that the bumper camera upgrade is part of AI5 – the fifth-generation FSD/Autopilot hardware. Elon mentioned today that AI5 is expected to hit high-volume production in 18 months.
Light Bar
It looks like these two leaked images have some unique features – the first being a lightbar on the rear of the vehicle. This looks interesting and it’s something we haven’t seen in a Tesla design, well, excluding the front of the Cybertruck. This could indicate that Tesla is trending towards a Cyber-style with its vehicles, and we’re fans of that.
The second image is a picture of the interior with ambient lighting on the door, along with what looks to be perforated seats. That means the refreshed Model Y - if this is it – will have ventilated seats, a feature that’s on the 2024 Model 3 as well.
Ambient Lighting Changes
In terms of the ambient lighting and dash, it looks distinctly different enough from the refreshed Model 3 to not be the same vehicle. The light bar on the door seems to end midway down the door, rather than going almost to the edge of the door in the 2024 Model 3.
We’re excited to see these improvements, and there is probably so much more around the corner. If these leaks are accurate, it seems that Tesla may be looking to make the refreshed Model Y more than just a larger Model 3, or they may be taking the opportunity to add new features to the Model Y first.
The refreshed Model Y Juniper is going to be an even better version of the best-selling vehicle in the world.
The interior of the Model Y Juniper, including the perforated seats.
Abomb1997 on Reddit
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For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.
Price Increase
The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.
The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.
The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.
Free Lifetime Supercharging
For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.
There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.
We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.
Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.
Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.
Optimus is Blind
Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.
Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.
Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.
What’s Next?
Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.
Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.
There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.
We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.