With the Model Y Juniper closer than ever, with production potentially beginning as soon as this month at Giga Shanghai, it is time to put all the cards on the table and take a look at everything we know about Project Juniper before it becomes a reality.
To make this easy, we’ll break this down into sections and then expand into what we know, what we expect, and any remaining rumors. This page should be a one-stop shop for everything we know about Project Juniper.
Battery & Range
Let’s kick off with the battery. While there were initial reports that Juniper could potentially get a 95kWh battery, this is relatively unlikely. The Model Y is aimed to replace the average SUV, which means that it has to compete against other SUVs in both price and range.
While the Model Y doesn’t take any trophies for range, it is priced attractively throughout the world, and this is one of the key reasons that it has been the best-selling vehicle globally in back-to-back years.
Instead, we’d go ahead and take a more conservative estimate and assume that the Model Y Juniper’s range will sit fairly close to the current vehicles. At best, a 10% range increase can likely be expected. Here’s our take in the table below.
Variant
Current Model Y
Model Y Juniper
Long Range Rear Wheel Drive
337mi
350mi
Long Range All Wheel Drive
320mi
340mi
Performance
311mi
330mi
In addition, Tesla will most likely use the same pack that currently exists in the Model 3 Highland - the two vehicles share many similar parts. This parts similarity offers Tesla the ability to rapidly and quickly scale vehicle production while also cutting down on production and service costs due to part sharing.
Changing to new battery tech, like the upcoming NC20s could be a possibility, but Tesla has previously mentioned they don’t expect to introduce these until at least late 2026. Instead, we’ll probably see updated versions of the CATL 6M packs for the RWD variant and 2170 cells from Panasonic or LG in the other two variants.
Wireless Charging Contacts
The Cybertruck shipped with a set of internal connectors to prepare it for a future retrofit for Tesla’s Wireless Charger - and we’re hoping to see this in the Model Y Juniper as well. After all, why not future-proof newer vehicles for robotaxi capabilities like wireless charging if the Cybertruck already has support?
Adaptive Suspension & Track Mode V3
The Model 3 Highland’s performance variant arrived with frequency-selective damping suspension, while the overall Highland package was improved with softer springs and a smoother ride. Plus, tuning for suspension options arrived in the Dynamics menu, enabling owners to tighten up or loosen up their ride based on what they felt most comfortable with.
Further tuning was enabled in Track Mode V3, which provided even more options and more control over vehicle endurance than Track Mode V2. Track Mode V3 will be a big jump for the Model Y Juniper, so we’re excited to see what they do here.
Light Bars & Front Fascia
All the leaked images we have seen of Juniper so far have given us a good perspective on what really looks like a light bar, and the latest uncovered leak confirms what we already suspected.
The two lights, upper and lower.
Not a Tesla App
Similar to the Cybertruck, the front light bar acts as daytime running lights, while the lower mounted lights act as the actual low beams and high beams. What’s interesting is that the newly uncovered photos reveal what looks like two gaps in the light bar. Most Tesla fans agree that it’s not a great look and would much rather have a continuous light bar across the front of the vehicle.
On the rear side, we’ve also seen a rear light bar in some leaked images, but others show a totally different rear design that doesn’t integrate a light bar but instead has a one-piece tail light and a set of bottom lights. We’re not quite where Tesla will go with the rear, but it's likely to be the one-piece + set of bottom lights, as the bottom lights are a legal requirement in North America, Europe, and China.
Abomb1997 on Reddit
Performance-Only Fascia
The Model 3 Highland’s performance variant received an updated fascia that helps direct air to the wheels and brakes for cooling - and we expect a similarly designed, more aggressive fascia to arrive with the Performance variant of Juniper.
Interior
The Model 3 Highland received fantastic interior upgrades, so we expect to see most, if not all of them arrive on the Model Y Juniper as well.
Ventilated Seats
Just like the Model 3 Highland, we expect Juniper will be equipped with ventilated seats, which brings a fairly premium-level feature to a vehicle more aimed at the mass market. Ventilated seats have always been a big ask from customers, and the Model 3 receiving them was a good sign that this feature will make its way into the Model Y Juniper as well.
Updated Steering Wheel
Not a Tesla App
A new photo of the interior not only shows off a stalkless steering wheel with the primary shifter moved over to the screen but also reveals a squircle steering wheel. It’s not clear whether this will make its way to production, but given all the changes to Juniper when compared to the new Model 3, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tesla added another unique feature to the upcoming 2025 Model Y.
If you really miss those turn stalks - we recommend taking a look at Enhauto’s S3XY stalks, which are launching in early 2025! However, make sure you give the signal buttons a try - while they take some time to get used to, they are pretty nice!
Rear Screen
The Model 3 Highland finally brought with it a rear screen to all its variants usable for gaming, media content, and controlling rear climate. It’s a convenient and fantastic update that helps the Model 3 feel just a little more premium.
We expect the rear screen to also make its way to the Model Y Juniper, and costs little to nothing for Tesla to add, as it is run off the main infotainment computer. It actually probably benefits Tesla, as it increases the demand for rear passengers to be able to watch YouTube, Netflix, or something else - which requires Tesla’s Premium Connectivity,
Ambient Lighting
Another set of leaked images also showed off the interior ambient lighting - it looked different enough from the Model 3 to not be the same vehicle. The interior ambient lighting in Juniper seems to go midway down the door rather than ending at the very edge of the door.
Take this one with a grain of salt, though - as this was likely a very early prototype, and the leaked images are from July. Six months is a lot of time to make a lot of changes to a vehicle - especially since Tesla has already introduced ambient lighting in the Chinese Model Y.
6 Seat Variant
A report from a Chinese paper mentioned that a 6-seat variant of the Model Y would make its way to the production lines sometime in late 2025. Reuters also reported that this variant would be a Chinese-exclusive version, but we’re hoping to see this make its way to North America and Europe as well - especially since the 7-seat variant can be extremely cramped.
More Speakers
Tesla puts a lot of effort into their sound systems - fine-tuning them to sound far better than most third-party solutions in other vehicles. The Highland brought with it an additional 3 speakers for the Long Range and Performance variants, and the updated Model Y Juniper will likely have the same additional set of speakers.
FSD Hardware
While the updated Model Y is expected to have a new front bumper camera and a rear camera that’s placed on the trunk lid instead of above the license plate, we don’t expect any other changes on the FSD front.
That means we can expect that AI4 will be powering the Juniper Y, just like the rest of the Tesla fleet, at least for the time being. If you were hoping to hop onto the latest and greatest FSD hardware with the launch of the Juniper, you may be disappointed.
Instead, you could look forward to Unsupervised FSD making its way to AI4 vehicles sometime in 2025, especially with Tesla looking to deploy robotaxis in the United States already.
Bumper Camera
One big change that we could expect is the arrival of the bumper camera. The prototypes spotted earlier in the year had what appeared to be a camera on the bumper, similar to the one mounted on the Cybertruck. Cybertruck doesn’t actually use this camera for FSD but does use it for Autopark. We were also expecting updated versions of the Model S and Model X with the bumper camera, but we have yet to see that change being made - so it could be that the bumper camera remains Cybertruck exclusive for now.
However, it would be a fantastically beneficial change, and while it isn’t clear whether the bumper camera will make it to production, we at least know Tesla has been considering adding it.
Wrap-Up
That’s everything we know without diving too deep into numerous rumors. We actually did a rumour round-up recently, so if you’re interested in seeing what our research dug up on the Model Y Juniper, check it out here.
It shouldn’t be long now until Tesla officially unveils the new 2025 Model Y — Project Juniper.
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Tesla vehicles rely heavily on external cameras for their advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and the future of fully autonomous robotaxis. However, driving in bad weather presents a significant challenge: keeping those cameras clean. Without a reliable cleaning solution, Robotaxis, which depend entirely on vision, cannot function safely and effectively.
Tesla owner Chuck Cook recently brought up this issue on X, saying to the Tesla AI team, “While I agree cleaning cameras while supervised is definitely something we need to consider... having an official post from @Tesla_AI about cleaning our own cameras is a bit concerning. You have a plan for this, right? Unsupervised can’t have customers wiping cameras.”
The Tesla_AI team responded, “On a more serious note, a more comprehensive cleaning solution is being worked on.”
Front Cameras
With the redesigned 2025 Model Y, Tesla introduced a front-facing camera, joining the Cybertruck in this regard. The Model S and Model X are also slated to receive this upgrade in the future and we eventually expect all Tesla vehicles to come with one standard.
Camera Washers
While the addition of a front camera is a step forward, it introduces another yet camera that needs to be cleaned.
Currently, the Cybertruck is the only known Tesla model equipped with a dedicated camera washer. This system drips water onto the front camera lens, allowing the wind to blow the moisture away. While it’s a simple and effective feature, it’s unclear whether Tesla implemented a similar feature in the new Model Y.
Rear Camera Shield
Sawyer Merritt/X
Tesla recently added a small shield around the rear camera to reduce the amount of dirt and water splashing onto the lens. Additionally, the rear camera on the new Model Y was relocated from above the license plate to the trunk lid. This repositioning presumably helps keep the lens cleaner by reducing its exposure to road spray.
While these adjustments are helpful, they don’t fully solve the issue, especially in harsher environments with constant rain, snow, or road debris.
Potential Solutions
There are several possible ways Tesla could address this issue:
Camera Washers: Expanding the Cybertruck’s washer feature to all external cameras or at least to the rear camera could provide a straightforward solution for keeping lenses clean.
Lens Coatings: Applying special coatings that repel water, dirt, and debris could reduce buildup on camera lenses. However, these coatings would still have limitations in extreme weather conditions.
Software Alerts: Software already notifies drivers when a camera is obstructed or dirty, but this wouldn’t solve the issue without a hardware solution to physically clean the lens.
Given that the new Model Y has already been announced, it doesn’t sound like Tesla incorporated a “comprehensive” solution to the dirty camera issue.
Tesla’s Solution?
Tesla’s mention of working on a “comprehensive cleaning solution” raises questions about what’s in development. The new Model Y doesn’t appear to feature anything we’d classify as comprehensive, and it’s unclear whether it even has a front camera washer like the Cybertruck.
One potential solution could tie into Tesla’s Robotaxi plans. Tesla is building hubs for its Robotaxis, where vehicles can be cleaned and maintained using robotic systems. These cleaning hubs could include robotic arms that wipe down exterior cameras when needed.
While this approach may work for Robotaxis in most situations, it doesn’t address the needs of private Tesla owners who rely on their vehicles daily. Tesla may assume that individual owners can manually clean their cameras as needed.
2024 was an amazing year for Tesla. Tesla went from FSD 12.1 in early January to FSD V13.2 by the end of November. While FSD appeared to be stagnant for a while, FSD V13 revived Tesla’s potential for an autonomous future. It made a lot of us realize that Tesla may be closer to an unsupervised version than we initially thought. While there are still leaps to be made to truly be unsupervised, Tesla is now closer than ever and may be able to release a geofenced version later this year or next year.
2024 also brought a new UI in the Spring Update and many exciting features such as Actually Smart Summon, Apple Watch support, Weather radar, new music services, hands-free trunk opening and many more.
As 2025 kicks off, we’re tempted to look at what Tesla vehicles could look like by the end of the year. We’ll take a look at new vehicles, improved hardware and new software features.
FSD
Tesla FSD V13 has set the bar pretty high, but let’s focus on the features we want to see. Of course, right off the bat, we know that Unsupervised FSD is possible sometime in 2025. While we don’t expect to see it early, there is a good chance we could see it in the latter half of the year in specific cities.
Tesla has been working with both Palo Alto in California and Austin in Texas on establishing the first Tesla Robotaxi network, so when Tesla finally launches in a specific market, its likely to be in one of these two.
Hardware 3
While FSD 12.6.1 is rolling out to a variety of vehicles with hardware 3, it’s still not V13. It does include the new highway stack and improved smoothness, but it lacks other V13 features such as the ability to Park, Unpark, and Reverse - the key features that really makeup FSD V13. The “Tap to Start FSD” button is also not available for HW3 or the Cybertruck.
Cybertruck
While the Cybertruck is already running FSD V13, it still lacks a lot of the same features as HW3 vehicles. Actually Smart Summon is also not available on the Cybertruck - it never received it with the initial launch of ASS earlier this year. Cybertruck is already a sight to see on roads and in parking lots, and a self-driving Cybertruck with nobody in it? Alien technology right there.
Better ASS
Actually, Smart Summon was a huge leap forward for Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions, and it really signaled just how far they’ve come with autonomy. However, it's still quite limited, with a fairly short range in North America of just 215 feet (65m). Then again, anything is better than the current European launch, with a paltry range of just 19.5 feet (6m) in some European nations.
Longer Range, both in North America - but especially in Europe - will be one of the keys to making it a far more useful feature than it already is. Most parking lots are far larger than the 215-foot distance that Actually Smart Summon currently supports, so in order to use it as designed, you really need to be parked near where you want to summon.
Doubling that distance to 500 feet will make a big difference in being able to summon your car from a reasonable distance, but with that much of a leap, Tesla will also need to allow Actually Smart Summon to be able to function on public roads for short times. Given that NHTSA has now opened up an investigation for Actually Smart Summon, these changes will likely not occur until the software feature is improved.
FSD in Europe & China
Today, Full Self-driving is restricted to just the United States and Canada - so most of North America. In fact, Mexico is geo-fenced, and FSD gets completely disabled when a vehicle with it enabled drives across the border.
Putting aside Mexico, FSD is expected to make its way to Europe and China sometime in 2025, especially with changes to European regulations coming to help allow FSD to actually function in its Supervised format. We’ll probably see the launch of FSD to European markets in some fashion later this year, but expect it to be behind Tesla’s target date of Q1.
In China, Tesla recently began showing the option to enable FSD, but it's greyed out for now, indicating that it’s potentially close to launching. Tesla has received approval to start testing FSD in China, so at this point, it seems to be a matter of time - cutting through red tape and gathering enough initial training data are going to be key.
Right-hand drive markets are also an additional challenge, as Tesla previously mentioned. Training for the time being has been focused on Left Hand Drive markets, so RHD markets will require additional training and refinement for FSD to really shine there.
New Vehicle Launches
Tesla has been hinting at an upcoming event in their updated referral program, which includes a potential invite to a future Tesla event. While we just had the Robotaxi event and Tesla just showed off the Model Y Juniper refresh, there is still more to come.
Next-Gen Model - Project Redwood
Tesla’s next-gen model, internally known as Project Redwood, is getting close to launch. While many have referred to this as the Model 2 or Model Q, we’re still not sure what it’ll be called just yet - or even what it will really look like.
However, Tesla seems primed to launch the vehicle sometime this year, and it’ll be a fairly compact vehicle, 15% smaller and 30% lighter than the Model 3 - the same size as the average Mini. If Tesla manages to keep in line with its originally promised pricing targets of $25,000 USD, this will be one of the best-selling EVs available. We expect it to be heavily based off of the Cybercab, but time will tell.
Tesla Semi Factory
Ok, while this isn’t “launching” next year, the Giga Texas Semi Factory is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2025, so we’re likely going to see the Tesla Semi fleet start getting ramped up and expanded in late 2025 and early 2026, and this is one of Tesla’s most exciting products.
It has the potential to make the biggest impact on carbon emissions and fuel usage in a consumer-adjacent industry, so we could see a lot of immediate positive change from Tesla’s Semi in day-to-day life.
We’re super excited to see the Semi Factory get off the ground and more Tesla Semis begin to make their way into the wild.
Tesla Software
There have been some great software improvements made this year, especially during the UI redesign in the Spring Update, but there’s always more we’d love to see.
AirPlay / Google Cast Support
Being able to cast from your iOS or Android device right to your Tesla display would be a fantastic addition. Imagine not having to worry about logging in, or whether a streaming service is available via the browser or app in your vehicle. Simply load it on your phone and cast it to your vehicle.
The iOS / Android ecosystem is just too big for Tesla to try to rebuild it in their vehicles, and even if they did or emulated Android apps, you’d still be stuck logging in to each service.
We all already have a much faster computer in our pockets that’s used daily. Lots of times it’s used in short spurts, so being able to quickly send a vehicle to your vehicle’s larger display would be ideal.
While the feature was dropped in newer Model S and Model X vehicles, there is still a chance Tesla could bring it back with improved support. After all, the AMD APU likely outperforms the Steam Deck - a portable PC gaming device that was released in 2022.
However, support for those features on Android, as well as an Android Wear App, hasn’t been mentioned yet. We’d love for Tesla to show Android users some support, especially as Android holds a 50% market share in the US and over 70% globally.
Group Text Support
Today, if you’re in a group chat using RCS or iMessage and use your Tesla messages app to respond, you’ll likely send a direct message to the first person in the group rather than the whole group. What’s even worse is you can’t tell the difference between a message that’s sent directly to you or to a group.
That’s annoying at best, and downright a hassle at worst if you’re driving for a long time and unable to use your phone. It would be a fantastic wish come true if Tesla brought full support for group texts.
Smart Voice Assistant
Tesla’s current system is a list of voice commands that, while useful, leaves a lot to be desired when compared to modern voice assistants such as Google Assistant and even Alexa. However, a smart voice assistant based on an LLM that uses xAI’s Grok could be coming soon. Elon previously confirmed that Grok would make its way into Tesla vehicles.
Avoid Highways Option
Users have been asking for an ‘Avoid Highways’ option forever, as it’s a standard option in navigation systems nowadays. While the Alternate Routes feature is helpful, it may not always provide a route that avoids the highway.
In June, Elon Musk confirmed that a “Avoid Highways” option would be added to Tesla navigation, and now we have the new route options in China. We’re fairly confident that it will eventually be available in Tesla vehicles, but the question is when?
Arrival State of Charge in App
While the vehicle received arrival state of charge with the holiday update, we’re still waiting on it being added to the app. Tesla has already made some phrasing changes and other UI improvements that allow the new feature to slide right now.
We expect this to be added in the next month or two, but for anyone that does any serious trip planning from the Tesla app, it can’t come soon enough.
Live Activities
Not a Tesla App
Apple’s Live Activities are auto-updating, persistent notifications that can provide real-time information about a certain task. Live Activities are useful for Uber, flight information or other critical tasks that can change often. In Tesla’s case, they can be used when Supercharging or using Sentry Mode. You’d quickly be able to see how much time is remaining your charging session or how many Sentry Mode events you’ve received.
Tesla Energy
Tesla’s energy wing has been quietly doing a lot of work behind the scenes, so let’s take a moment to appreciate everything that’s happening here.
These V4 Supercharger cabinets are capable of dispensing up to 500kW for the Cybertruck, using its unique 800v architecture. While Cybertruck can already hit 325kW from V3+ Superchargers, this is the next step forward to making Tesla's charge even faster.
Tesla Solar, Powerwall, and Megapack
Solar, Powerwall, and Megapack have been dutifully plodding away in the background, and Tesla has been working on expanding the factories that produce them. Both Mega Lathrop in the US and Mega Shanghai are undergoing expansions, and Tesla has released financial guidance that Megapack and Powerwall are going to be some of their biggest businesses.
Solar, on the other hand, seems to be slowly dying off. Tesla has killed off all their first-party solar installation and instead handed off the Tesla Solar program to third-party installers. There is also no news of pushing the Tesla Solar Roof to other countries - for now, it is only available in the United States “officially’.
We’d love to see Solar Roof and Tesla Solar make their way to other countries and even see some progress on the rumored Tesla home heat pump. While existing heat pumps are functional, Tesla has a way of disrupting industries and making them work smarter and harder like no one else.
Optimus
Tesla’s humanoid robot has made a big splash at the We, Robot event, and now we’ve even seen it starting to walk on its own. Tesla has also started to deploy Optimus to do some basic tasks at its factories in Texas.
Optimus is going to be another big game-changer, but this one is still years out. For now, we’d like to see more of the updated Optimus hands, and more of Optimus doing daily tasks, whether it's just walking, folding clothes, or tightening some bolts down.
Optimus is a fantastic future vision for Tesla, and it’ll definitely be something to keep an eye on in 2025. Who knows, maybe we’ll get another autonomy event from Tesla in 2025 where we’ll learn more about Optimus.
To wrap up this wishlist, there’s a lot to look forward to. 2024 was a fantastic year, and Tesla really hit most of their milestones. We saw amazing progress in FSD, the Cybertruck, and Model 3 Highland really settled in, and now there’s so much more to look forward to.
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![Andrej Karpathy considers returning to Tesla to work on Optimus [video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2022/karpathy-podcast_300w.jpg)
