Tesla has officially launched its redesigned Model Y “Juniper” for the Chinese market, but the vehicle’s debut has sparked questions about its potential release in North America.
Just days after the launch event in China, a covered version of the new Model Y was spotted driving in Santa Clara, California, according to a video shared by X user Teslaconomics on Sunday. In the footage, the vehicle’s front and rear bumpers are covered, concealing the newly redesigned headlights and taillights, despite the official reveal in China.
BREAKING: I found the new Tesla Model Y in Silicon Valley, CA! pic.twitter.com/Xsf5DEk5M5
— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) January 12, 2025
This sighting marks the first appearance of the updated Model Y in the U.S. following its launch in China. While it’s not unusual to see Tesla vehicles in the Bay Area, given the company’s engineering headquarters in Palo Alto and its Fremont factory, the covered vehicle has fueled speculation about when the redesigned Model Y will make its way to North America.
As the city of Fremont is a short drive from Santa Clara, some observers find it intriguing that Tesla continues to cover the vehicle, even though the design has already been revealed. “It likely would have created pretty substantial buzz if it had been spotted in the U.S. without any covering,” noted one user.
Prior to this sighting, multiple covered versions of the updated Model Y were spotted in the Bay Area, including in Hayward, California, just before the new year. These earlier sightings provided glimpses of the red light bar across the rear and the front light bar, both of which have since been confirmed in the official launch. Similar covered versions were also seen in San Mateo and San Jose in the weeks leading up to the China launch, with tinted windows preventing a clear view of the interior at that time.
While it remains unclear when Tesla will launch the refreshed Model Y in the U.S. or Canada, the company could follow a similar pattern to its release of the redesigned Model 3, which debuted in European and Asian markets in late 2023 before reaching the U.S. in January 2024.