Tesla has shared a new video about the design and engineering of the refreshed Model Y, revealing a few new features and talks from some of the company’s top executives.
In a new video released on social media on Saturday, Tesla shared a few new details about the design and engineering of the so-called Model Y “Juniper,” which the company launched in multiple markets in recent weeks as expected. The interview features Head of Design Franz von Holzhausen, who talks about the approach to the design of the new Model Y, along with interviews with multiple other executives and engineers from the company.
“When we set out to redesign the Model Y, we looked at trying to give the car a little bit more of its own unique personality,” von Holzhausen says in the video’s intro.
The video also includes a few moments from Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy, along with a few others from the company.
Tesla’s refreshed Model Y design should make repairing this part easier
-->READ MORE ON TESLA’S NEW MODEL Y:
- Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ visiting Europe
- New Tesla Model Y launches in the U.S., estimated deliveries in March
- New Tesla Model Y ‘Juniper’ units are arriving in China’s showrooms
- Tesla discounts U.S. Model Y inventory ahead of refresh launch
- Tesla China is clearing out legacy Model Y units: here’s what’s left
Tesla Model Y refresh: other new features in the 2025 release
Tesla Model Y front camera
The new Model Y includes a front fascia camera with a 180-degree scope of view, offering improvements for “automatic assisted driving and advanced smart summon,” as stated by the company last month. The new video details nine cameras overall for optimal viewing angles to assist the Autopilot and Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems.
Credit: Tesla | X
Tesla Model Y front lightbar and reflective rear lightbar
As was revealed upon Tesla’s initial release of the new 2025 Model Y, the design includes both a front lightbar and a reflective rear lightbar, both of which represent pretty major exterior changes from the legacy version of the SUV. In the video, Tesla’s Creative Manager of Design Sahm Jafari points out how the front lightbar makes the Model Y refresh look a little bit wider, along with boosting the amount of air running over the front tires for a slight improvement to aerodynamics.
Credit: Tesla | X
Tesla has released a deep dive on the design and engineering of the new Model Y.
There’s a great tidbit about giving it “its own unique personality,” and how the new light bar gives it a wider look.
Check it out:
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 8, 2025
Tesla Model Y frunk and drain plug
The Model Y also includes what the company calls a more “utility-focused” frunk, including a drain plug that makes it easy to use the space as a wash station, cooler, or otherwise. Tesla also says it plans to release some new, specifically designed accessories for the Model Y frunk for even more use cases.
Credit: Tesla | X Credit: Tesla | X Credit: Tesla | X
Tesla Model Y tires
The Model Y “Juniper” also comes with upgraded tires developed by Tesla to be even more efficient than the legacy model, offering lower resistance for improved handling and less in-cabin road noise.
Credit: Tesla | X Credit: Tesla | X
Tesla Model Y rear screen with Bluetooth pairing
The new Model Y also includes a rear infotainment screen with the ability to pair with up to two Bluetooth headsets, letting the driver and other passengers listen to the media of their choice while children or other rear passengers can tune into what they want. The vehicle includes 16 speakers total, and the video also contains details on how Tesla hid some of them to make the audio as immersive as possible.
Credit: Tesla | X
Tesla Model Y upgraded acoustic glass
Tesla’s upgraded acoustic glass and its other design improvements result in a noise reduction of 20 percent, according to the video. One of these improvements includes the vehicle’s upgraded seals, which let the blowers run at lower speeds than those of the legacy Model Y—ultimately contributing to the lower in-cabin volume.
Credit: Tesla | X
You can see the full video about the refreshed Model Y below, as released by Tesla on Saturday.
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 is offering a crazy Supercharging incentive on its two ‘sentimental’ vehicles
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News
Tesla’s most affordable car is coming to the Netherlands
The trim is expected to launch at €36,990, making it the most affordable Model 3 the Dutch market has seen in years.
Tesla is preparing to introduce the Model 3 Standard to the Netherlands this December, as per information obtained by AutoWeek. The trim is expected to launch at €36,990, making it the most affordable Model 3 the Dutch market has seen in years.
While Tesla has not formally confirmed the vehicle’s arrival, pricing reportedly comes from a reliable source, the publication noted.
Model 3 Standard lands in NL
The U.S. version of the Model 3 Standard provides a clear preview of what Dutch buyers can expect, such as a no-frills configuration that maintains the recognizable Model 3 look without stripping the car down to a bare interior. The panoramic glass roof is still there, the exterior design is unchanged, and Tesla’s central touchscreen-driven cabin layout stays intact.
Cost reductions come from targeted equipment cuts. The American variant uses fewer speakers, lacks ventilated front seats and heated rear seats, and swaps premium materials for cloth and textile-heavy surfaces. Performance is modest compared with the Premium models, with a 0–100 km/h sprint of about six seconds and an estimated WLTP range near 550 kilometers.
Despite the smaller battery and simpler suspension, the Standard maintains the long-distance capability drivers have come to expect in a Tesla.
-->Pricing strategy aligns with Dutch EV demand and taxation shifts
At €36,990, the Model 3 Standard fits neatly into Tesla’s ongoing lineup reshuffle. The current Model 3 RWD has crept toward €42,000, creating space for a more competitive entry-level option, and positioning the new Model 3 Standard comfortably below the €39,990 Model Y Standard.
The timing aligns with rising Dutch demand for affordable EVs as subsidies like SEPP fade and tax advantages for electric cars continue to wind down, EVUpdate noted. Buyers seeking a no-frills EV with solid range are then likely to see the new trim as a compelling alternative.
With the U.S. variant long established and the Model Y Standard already available in the Netherlands, the appearance of an entry-level Model 3 in the Dutch configurator seems like a logical next step.
News
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
The premium-priced SUV outpaced rivals despite a competitive field, while the Model 3 also secured an impressive position.
The Tesla Model Y led China’s top-selling pure electric vehicles in the 200,000–300,000 RMB segment through October 2025, as per Yiche data compiled from China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) figures.
The premium-priced SUV outpaced rivals despite a competitive field, while the Model 3 also secured an impressive position.
The Model Y is still unrivaled
The Model Y’s dominance shines in Yiche’s October report, topping the chart for vehicles priced between 200,000 and 300,000 RMB. With 312,331 units retailed from January through October, the all-electric crossover was China’s best-selling EV in the 200,000–300,000 RMB segment.
The Xiaomi SU7 is a strong challenger at No. 2 with 234,521 units, followed by the Tesla Model 3, which achieved 146,379 retail sales through October. The Model Y’s potentially biggest rival, the Xiaomi YU7, is currently at No. 4 with 80,855 retail units sold.
Efficiency kings
The Model 3 and Model Y recently claimed the top two spots in Autohome’s latest real-world energy-consumption test, outperforming a broad field of Chinese-market EVs under identical 120 km/h cruising conditions with 375 kg payload and fixed 24 °C cabin temperature. The Model 3 achieved 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y recorded 21.8 kWh/100 km, reaffirming Tesla’s efficiency lead.
The results drew immediate attention from Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, who publicly recognized Tesla’s advantage while pledging continued refinement for his brand’s lineup.
-->“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
SpaceX is already bouncing back from the fiasco that it experienced during Starship Booster 18’s initial tests earlier this month.
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
Starship V3 Booster 19 is rising
As per Starbase watchers on X, SpaceX rolled out the fourth aft section of Booster 19 to Starbase’s MegaBay this weekend, stacking it to reach 15 rings tall with just a few sections remaining. This marks the fastest booster assembly to date at four sections in five days. This is quite impressive, and it bodes well for SpaceX’s Starship V3 program, which is expected to be a notable step up from the V2 program, which was retired after a flawless Flight 11.
Starship watcher TankWatchers noted the tempo on X, stating, “During the night the A4 section of Booster 19 rolled out to the MegaBay. With 4 sections in just 5 days, this is shaping up to be the fastest booster stack ever.” Fellow Starbase watcher TestFlight echoed the same sentiments. “Booster 19 is now 15 rings tall, with 3 aft sections remaining!” the space enthusiast wrote.
Aggressive targets despite Booster 18 fiasco
SpaceX’s V3 program encountered a speed bump earlier this month when Booster 18, just one day after rolling out into the factory, experienced a major anomaly during gas system pressure testing at SpaceX’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas. While no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and no one was injured in the incident, the unexpected end of Booster 18 sparked speculation that the Starship V3 program could face delays.
-->Despite the Booster 18 fiasco, however, SpaceX announced that “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.” Elon Musk shared a similar timeline on X earlier this year, with the CEO stating that “ V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year.”
Considering that Booster 19 seems to be moving through its production phases quickly, perhaps SpaceX’s Q1 2026 target for Flight 12 might indeed be more than feasible.
Tesla’s most affordable car is coming to the Netherlands
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
