Tesla has officially launched its design-refreshed Model Y “Juniper” for the Chinese market, and as many wonder when the electric vehicle (EV) will launch in North America, another has been spotted driving in California.
As captured in a video from X user Teslaconomics on Sunday, a covered Tesla Model Y “Juniper” was spotted driving in Santa Clara, California, following the company’s official launch of the EV in China on Thursday. In the video, you can see the vehicle’s front and rear bumpers covered with a wrap to hide the newly redesigned headlights and taillights, despite them having gone public with the recent launch.
The sighting comes as the latest U.S. sighting of the new Model Y, and the first since the newly refreshed vehicle went on sale in China. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to see the EV driving around the Bay Area, especially given Tesla’s engineering headquarters located in Palo Alto and its factory in Fremont, though it does add to speculation as to when the company will launch the vehicle in the U.S.
Some users also noted that it was interesting that Tesla continued to cover the vehicle up, since the design has already been revealed, though it likely would have created pretty substantial buzz if it had been spotted in the U.S. without any covering.
You can see the full video below, as posted by Teslaconomics.
BREAKING: I found the new Tesla Model Y in Silicon Valley, CA! pic.twitter.com/Xsf5DEk5M5
— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) January 12, 2025
READ MORE ON TESLA’S REFRESHED MODEL Y: The Model Y ‘Juniper’ is not stalkless like the Model 3
Other Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ sightings in recent weeks
Multiple other covered Model Y vehicles were spotted in the Bay Area in the weeks leading up to the China launch, most recently including a sighting in Hayward, California, just days before the new year began. From the photos and video shared in that sighting, we were able to see the red light bar across the rear that had previously been rumored, along with hints as to the front light bar, both of which have now been revealed.
Credit: suppalatte | X
About a week prior to that, another covered version of the new Tesla Model Y was seen driving in San Mateo, again with the typical covering. In both appearances, the vehicles’ windows were heavily tinted, so we weren’t at the time able to see what the interior looked like. Yet another refreshed Model Y was seen driving in San Jose a little over a week earlier, initially giving viewers the idea that it may include the red light bar.
Others were spotted as far back as August, though they’ve definitely been seen with increasing frequency in the last several weeks.
Credit: zoomich_usa | X
Credit: Y2KColin | X
When will Tesla launch the new Model Y in the U.S. and Canada?
It’s not yet clear when Tesla plans to launch the newly refreshed Model Y “Juniper” in the U.S., Canada or other markets, but the company could follow a similar pattern to its release of the refreshed Model 3 in late 2023 through last year. For that launch, Tesla first debuted the new Model 3—then dubbed the “Highland”— in European and Asian markets in 2023, before launching the redesign in the U.S. last January.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla China is clearing out legacy Model Y units: here’s what’s left
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Tesla has given its biggest hint that Full Self-Driving in Europe is imminent, as a new feature seems to show that the company is preparing for frequent border crossings.
Tesla owner and influencer BLKMDL3, also known as Zack, recently took his Tesla to the border of California and Mexico at Tijuana, and at the international crossing, Full Self-Driving showed an interesting message: “Upcoming country border — FSD (Supervised) will become unavailable.”
FSD now shows a new message when approaching an international border crossing.
Stayed engaged the whole way as we crossed the border and worked great in Mexico! pic.twitter.com/bDzyLnyq0g
— Zack (@BLKMDL3) January 26, 2026
Due to regulatory approvals, once a Tesla operating on Full Self-Driving enters a new country, it is required to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to that territory. Even if legal, it seems Tesla will shut off FSD temporarily, confirming it is in a location where operation is approved.
This is something that will be extremely important in Europe, as crossing borders there is like crossing states in the U.S.; it’s pretty frequent compared to life in America, Canada, and Mexico.
Tesla has been working to get FSD approved in Europe for several years, and it has been getting close to being able to offer it to owners on the continent. However, it is still working through a lot of the red tape that is necessary for European regulators to approve use of the system on their continent.
This feature seems to be one that would be extremely useful in Europe, considering the fact that crossing borders into other countries is much more frequent than here in the U.S., and would cater to an area where approvals would differ.
Tesla has been testing FSD in Spain, France, England, and other European countries, and plans to continue expanding this effort. European owners have been fighting for a very long time to utilize the functionality, but the red tape has been the biggest bottleneck in the process.
Tesla Europe builds momentum with expanding FSD demos and regional launches
Tesla operates Full Self-Driving in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
The first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX’s next Starship launch, Flight 12, is expected in about six weeks. This suggests that the first flight of Starship Version 3 and its new Raptor V3 engines could happen as early as March.
In a post on X, Elon Musk stated that the next Starship launch is in six weeks. He accompanied his announcement with a photo that seemed to have been taken when Starship’s upper stage was just about to separate from the Super Heavy Booster. Musk did not state whether SpaceX will attempt to catch the Super Heavy Booster during the upcoming flight.
The upcoming flight will mark the debut of Starship V3. The upgraded design includes the new Raptor V3 engine, which is expected to have nearly twice the thrust of the original Raptor 1, at a fraction of the cost and with significantly reduced weight. The Starship V3 platform is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability.
The Starship V3 Flight 12 launch timeline comes as SpaceX pursues an aggressive development cadence for the fully reusable launch system. Previous iterations of Starship have racked up a mixed but notable string of test flights, including multiple integrated flight tests in 2025.
Interestingly enough, SpaceX has teased an aggressive timeframe for Starship V3’s first flight. Way back in late November, SpaceX noted on X that it will be aiming to launch Starship V3’s maiden flight in the first quarter of 2026. This was despite setbacks like a structural anomaly on the first V3 booster during ground testing.
“Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026,” the company wrote in its post on X.
News
Tesla China rolls out Model 3 insurance subsidy through February
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
Tesla has rolled out a new insurance subsidy for Model 3 buyers in China, adding another incentive as the automaker steps up promotions in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
Eligible customers purchasing a Model 3 by February 28 can receive an insurance subsidy worth RMB 8,000 (about $1,150).
A limited-time subsidy
The insurance subsidy, which was announced by Tesla China on Weibo, applies to the Model 3 RWD, Long Range RWD, and Long Range AWD variants. Tesla stated that the offer is available to buyers who complete their purchase on or before February 28, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The starting prices for these variants are RMB 235,500, RMB 259,500, and RMB 285,500, respectively.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance, which starts at RMB 339,500, is excluded from the subsidy. The company has previously used insurance incentives at the beginning of the year to address softer seasonal demand in China’s auto market. The program is typically phased out as sales conditions stabilize over the year.
China’s electric vehicle market
The insurance subsidy followed Tesla’s launch of a 7-year low-interest financing plan in China on January 6, which is aimed at improving vehicle affordability amid changing policy conditions. After Tesla introduced the financing program, several automakers, such as Xiaomi, Li Auto, Xpeng, and Voyah, introduced similar long-term financing options.
China’s electric vehicle market has faced additional headwinds entering 2026. Buyers of new energy vehicles are now subject to a 5% purchase tax, compared with the previous full exemption. At the same time, vehicle trade-in subsidies in several cities are expected to expire in mid-November.
Tesla’s overall sales in China declined in 2025, with deliveries totaling 625,698 vehicles, down 4.78% year-over-year. Model 3 deliveries increased 13.33% to 200,361 units, while Model Y deliveries, which were hampered by the changeover to the new Model Y in the first quarter, fell 11.45% to 425,337 units.
Tesla gives its biggest hint that Full Self-Driving in Europe is imminent
SpaceX Starship V3 gets launch date update from Elon Musk
