Tesla's Model Y Juniper Refresh: What to Expect & Wishlist

@TeslaTruckClub on X

With more images of the Model Y Refresh – codename Juniper – making their way onto the internet, it’s a good chance to build a little wishlist of features and upgrades we’d love to see on the refreshed Model Y.

We’ll keep it simple to start, and list some of the features we fully expect on the refreshed Model Y.

Bumper Camera

The bumper camera is already on the Cybertruck, expected to be on the Model S and Model X, and we’ve seen a covered-up Model Y with a bumper camera already. At this point, we’re fully expecting this feature.

It’ll certainly be useful when parking and it’ll be extra useful for those who want to overland or off-road their Model Ys.

Adaptive Suspension

The refreshed Model 3 Highland arrived with frequency-selective damping, softer springs, and an overall smoother ride. In addition, these options are somewhat tuneable in the Dynamics vehicle menu. We’re hoping to see the same, or perhaps even more improvements on this front for the Juniper.

Updated Steering Wheel

Like the Model 3, we expect the gear stalks to be removed from the Model Y in the Juniper refresh. Hopefully, we can even get a squircle steering wheel option like the Cybertruck.

Rear Screen

The Highland 3 brought an 8” rear screen to all variants – we’re fully expecting this to show up in the refreshed Y as well. The addition of the rear screen adds very little cost for Tesla since the screen is powered by the same computer that powers the infotainment system up front, but it adds a ton of value for customers. In turn, it likely increases the take rate of Premium Connectivity since it allows rear passengers to watch YouTube, Netflix and more while driving.

Ambient Lighting

The leaked Model Y images that came out recently confirmed that the Juniper Y has ambient lighting – and even better than the retrofit ambient lighting offered in China. These ambient lighting strips will extend onto the front doors. We’re always happy to see interior upgrades, especially improvements to the ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is something we’ll see Tesla continue to improve as we saw with update 2024.26 where owners can now adjust the brightness of the lights and choose whether they come on during the day or only at night.

Ventilated Seats

The same leak earlier late last month also confirmed that the Model Y will have ventilated seats, just like the refreshed Model 3. These were previously a Model S and Model X feature, but this helps to really cement Tesla’s luxurious interiors as industry-leading.

Rear Lightbar

We also saw a brand-new rear lightbar on the back of the leaked Model Y, and it looks pretty cool. Tesla appears to be switching back to the written branding on the rear of the vehicle, rather than just the simple, but deep Tesla logo.

Improved Speakers

The Model 3’s refresh also improved the speaker system – bringing it up from 14 speakers to 17. We’d love to see the same improvements to the Model Y, especially since Tesla takes such care in engineering their audio systems.

Wishlist

Now, let’s get into some of the features we’re hoping make it into the Juniper Model Y. Some of these might be reaching a tad far, but that’s what wishlists are for.

Increased Range

While the Model 3 did get a range increase in its refresh, we’d hope to see something similar here, with a better drag coefficient and overall better range bringing us to a 10% increase. 350mi (550km) would be the ideal range for the Long-Range Dual Motor variant.

Structural 4680 Battery

Tesla has been working on their 4680 cells recently, with the first dry-cathode Cybertruck prototype roaming Giga Texas. Tesla also announced that their dry-cathode 4680 process will begin mass production in late 2024, and a structural 4680 on the new cell could further improve the Model Y as one of the safest vehicles on the road, while also driving down its cost to manufacture.

Better Performance Model

Faster. Runs Cooler. Better Brakes. Ludicrous Seats. A better performance variant of the Model Y is likely in the works, given the improvements to the Model 3 “Ludicrous”. We’d love to see all these features come to the future Model Y performance trim. We’re probably going to have to wait a bit longer for this one, just like the Model 3.

Air Suspension

Tesla’s amazing air suspension features have also been limited to just the Model S and Model X. This is an expensive package, so we don’t expect this to arrive on the refreshed Y, which is made more as a mass-market vehicle. However, even a scaled-down or simplified air suspension would be an amazing improvement to the Model Y, especially as a premium SUV.

Tiltable Center Screen

The Model Y is the vehicle for families. And what better way to amuse or anger your passenger than tilting your screen towards you? Well, a tiltable center screen would be a slick upgrade, again previously constrained to the Model S and Model X. Many people, including the author, use a tilting center screen mod, and Tesla making it OEM would be a nice addition.

Better Charging Pads

Tesla’s wireless charging pads for its phones are… OK at best. At worst, they can get hot enough to cook you a meal, and this is especially bad with Apple devices. We’d love to see Tesla bring some improvements to its cell phone chargers and make them faster too — possibly with some integrated cooling. Most cell phones support at least 30w wireless charging today, and Tesla’s wireless charging pads aren’t exactly fast.

Steam Gaming Support

While Tesla has slowly snubbed Steam Gaming support, we’d like to see this feature make a come back to Tesla vehicles. Steam Support has previously been offered only on the Model S and Model X, but it would be perfect for the Model Y – the quintessential family EV. Tesla doesn’t necessarily need the horsepower that was in the discreet GPU of the Model S and X, but just the ability to play some Steam would be a great addition.

AI5

Given that Elon Musk just recently confirmed that AI5 is about 18 months out from mass production, there is a very good chance that the Juniper Model Y could launch alongside the official debut of the new AI5 hardware. That would be an exceptional way for Tesla to debut their new FSD hardware, right alongside the refreshed best-selling vehicle in the world.

Automatic Doors

This is a more premium feature suited for the Model S and Model X, just like Steam gaming support, but we’d love to see automatic front doors or automatic door handles on the refreshed Model Y.

Many other vehicle brands have similar auto-door features at the same price level, so it would be pretty cool to flex Tesla’s fantastic vision tech and have the doors open when the vehicle arrives after being Actually Smart Summoned to you.

48V Architecture

The Cybertruck brought 48V architecture to a vehicle for the first time. While the Model 3 Refresh was likely going on behind the scenes at the same time, 48V is now tried and tested. The Model Y Juniper offers Tesla the ideal chance to bring a 48V architecture to mass-market vehicles for the first time, and the cost savings will be huge.

Faster Supercharging & Wireless Charging

We’d love to see faster Supercharging because of better vehicle architecture and batteries, but we’d also love to see Wireless Charging. Tesla purchased Wiferion and kept its engineers to develop an in-house solution – which we expect to see on 10/10 with the Robotaxi event. Let’s hope they bring that wireless charging solution to the Model Y too.

Better 7-Seat Variant

The 7-seat variant in the Model Y is fairly cramped and takes up a lot of cargo room even when the seats are down. We’re sure Tesla can work some engineering magic and bring out some more space to help expand the rear seat legroom.

Steer-by-Wire

The Cybertruck was the steer-by-wire testbed, and it only makes sense that this same technology starts getting used on every single Tesla vehicle. Just like the 48V architecture, this likely didn’t make it in time for the Model 3 Highland, but the Model Y Juniper will offer a mass-production platform for steer-by-wire.

Starlink Integration

This one has been asked for really often – Starlink integration for Tesla vehicles. There’s no reason not to have it – except for the cost of the hardware. Starlink integration would be far more reliable than cellular and could be used globally. If you’re out camping with your Model Y Air Mattress, you’d appreciate some built-in Starlink too. A cellular connection would need to remain in place for when the vehicle doesn’t have a clear view of the sky, but this would certainly be a nice add-on.

Smart Electro-Optical Glass

Back in 2019, Tesla filed a patent for an “electro-optical” sunroof. This is pretty much a touch-button sunroof that activates or deactivates a tint but with a smart twist. Tesla’s version of this, which was included in the patent, could automatically adjust how much light is let in. It could also provide more light at night with a built-in LED layer.

Cyber-Y

Ok, put down the pitchforks and hear me out. Cyber. Y.

We already know the Model Y will likely not become angular and metal, but getting some Cybertruck-style vibes would be pretty cool – lightbar in the front, with wicked-cool Cyber styling throughout the interior.

Tesla’s Model Y refresh isn’t expected at least until early 2025, but as leaks and renderings start flowing, it’s hard not to get excited.

Now, we’re sure you’ve all got more ideas – so come and discuss them in our forum.

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Tesla Included FSD V12.6.1 and V13.2.4 in the Same Update: What Caused This and What It Means

Not a Tesla App

Tesla launched two FSD updates simultaneously on Saturday night, and what’s most interesting is that they arrived on the same software version. We’ll dig into that a little later, but for now, there’s good news for everyone. For Hardware 3 owners, FSD V12.6.1 is launching to all vehicles, including the Model 3 and Model Y. For AI4 owners, FSD V13.2.4 is launching, starting with the Cybertruck.

FSD V13.2.4

A new V13 build is now rolling out to the Cybertruck and is expected to arrive for the rest of the AI4 fleet soon. However, this build seems to be focused on bug fixes. There are no changes to the release notes for the Cybertruck with this release, and it’s unlikely to feature any changes when it arrives on other vehicles.

While this update focuses on bug fixes, Tesla’s already working on bigger features for FSD V13.3, which we have already confirmed to include improvements to highway following and speed control.

FSD V12.6.1

FSD V12.6.1 builds upon V12.6, which is the latest FSD version for HW3 vehicles. While FSD V12.6 was only released for the redesigned Model S and Model X with HW3, FSD V12.6.1 is adding support for the Model 3 and Model Y.

While this is only a bug-fix release for users coming from FSD V12.6, it includes massive improvements for anyone coming from an older FSD version. Two of the biggest changes are the new end-to-end highway stack that now utilizes FSD V12 for highway driving and a redesigned controller that allows FSD to drive “V13” smooth.

It also adds speed profiles, earlier lane changes, and more. You can read our in-depth look at all the changes in FSD V12.6.

Same Update, Multiple FSD Builds

What’s interesting about this software version is that it “includes" two FSD updates, V12.6.1 for HW3 and V13.2.4 for HW4 vehicles. While this is interesting, it’s less special when you understand what’s happening under the hood.

The vehicle’s firmware and Autopilot firmware are actually completely separate. While a vehicle downloading a firmware update may look like a singular process, it’s actually performing several functions during this period. First, it downloads the vehicle’s firmware. Upon unpacking the update, it’s instructed which Autopilot/FSD firmware should be downloaded.

While the FSD firmware is separate, the vehicle can’t download any FSD update. The FSD version is hard-coded in the vehicle’s firmware that was just downloaded. This helps Tesla keep the infotainment and Autopilot firmware tightly coupled, leading to fewer issues.

What we’re seeing here is that HW3 vehicles are being told to download one FSD version, while HW4 vehicles are being told to download a different version.

While this is the first time Tesla has had two FSD versions tied to the same vehicle software version, the process hasn’t actually changed, and what we’re seeing won’t lead to faster FSD updates or the ability to download FSD separately. What we’re seeing is the direct result of the divergence of HW3 and HW4.

While HW3/4 remained basically on the same FSD version until recently, it is now necessary to deploy different versions for the two platforms. We expect this to be the norm going forward, where HW3 will be on a much different version of FSD than HW4. While each update may not include two different FSD versions going forward, we may see it occasionally, depending on which features Autopilot is dependent on.

Thanks to Greentheonly for helping us understand what happened with this release and for the insight into Tesla’s processes.

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Nvidia’s Cosmos Offers Synthetic Training Data; Following Tesla’s Lead

Not a Tesla App

At the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, Nvidia showed off its new consumer graphics cards, home-scale compute machines, and commercial AI offerings. One of these offerings included the new Nvidia Cosmos training system.

Nvidia is a close partner of Tesla - in fact, they produce and supply the GPUs that Tesla uses to train FSD - the H100s and soon-to-be H200s, located at the new Cortex Supercomputing Cluster at Giga Texas. Nvidia will also challenge Tesla’s lead in developing and deploying synthetic training data for an autonomous driving system - something Tesla is already doing.

However, this is far more important for other manufacturers. We’re going to take a look at what Nvidia is offering and how it compares to what Tesla is already doing. We’ve done a few deep dives into how Tesla’s FSD works, how Tesla streamlines FSD, and, more recently, how they optimize FSD. If you want to get familiar with a bit of the lingo and the background knowledge, we recommend reading those articles before continuing, but we’ll do our best to explain how all this synthetic data works.

Nvidia Cosmos

Nvidia’s Cosmos is a generative AI model created to accelerate the development of physical AI systems, including robots and autonomous vehicles. Remember - Tesla’s FSD is also the same software that powers their humanoid robot, Optimus. Nvidia is aiming to tackle physical, real-world deployments of AI anywhere from your home, your street, or your workplace, just like Tesla.

Cosmos is a physics-aware engine that learns from real-world video and builds simulated video inputs. It tokenizes data to help AI systems learn quicker, all based on the video that is input into the system. Sound familiar? That’s exactly how FSD learns as well.

Cosmos also has the capability to do sensor-fused simulations. That means it can take multiple input sources - video, LiDAR, audio, or whatever else the user intends, and fuse them together into a single-world simulation for your AI model to learn from. This helps train, test, and validate autonomous vehicle behavior in a safe, synthetic format while also providing a massive breadth of data.

Data Scaling

Of course, Cosmos itself still requires video input - the more video you feed it, the more simulations it can generate and run. Data scaling is a necessity for AI applications, as you’ll need to feed it an infinite amount of data to build an infinite amount of scenarios for it to train itself on.

Synthetic data also has a problem - is it real? Can it predict real-world situations? In early 2024, Elon Musk commented on this problem, noting that data scales infinitely both in the real world and in simulated data. A better way to gather testing data is through real-world data. After all, no AI can predict the real world just yet - in fact, that’s an excellent quantum computing problem that the brightest minds are working on.

Yun-Ta Tsai, an engineer at Tesla’s AI team, also mentioned that writing code or generating scenarios doesn’t cover what even the wildest AI hallucinations might come up with. There are lots of optical phenomena and real-world situations that don’t necessarily make sense in the rigid training sets that AI would develop, so real-world data is absolutely essential to build a system that can actually train a useful real-world AI.

Tesla has billions of miles of real-world video that can be used for training, according to Tesla’s Social Media Team Lead Viv. This much data is essential because even today, FSD encounters “edge cases” that can confuse it, slow it down, or render it incapable of continuing, throwing up the dreaded red hands telling the user to take over.

Cosmos was trained on approximately 20 million hours of footage, including human activities like walking and manipulating objects. On the other hand, Tesla’s fleet gathers approximately 2,380 recorded minutes of real-world video per minute. Every 140 hours - just shy of 6 days - Tesla’s fleet gathers 20 million hours of footage. That was a little bit of back-of-the-napkin math, calculated at 60 mph as the average speed.

Generative Worlds

Both Tesla’s FSD and Nvidia’s Cosmos can generate highly realistic, physics-based worlds. These worlds are life-like environments and simulate the movement of people and traffic and the real-life position of obstacles and objects, including curbs, fences, buildings, and other objects.

Tesla uses a combination of real-world data and synthetic data, but the combination of data is heavily weighted to real-world data. Meanwhile, companies who use Cosmos will be weighting their data heavily towards synthetically created situations, drastically limiting what kind of cases they may see in their training datasets.

As such, while generative worlds may be useful to validate an AI quickly, we would argue that these worlds aren’t as useful as real-world data to do the training of an AI.

Overall, Cosmos is an exciting step - others are clearly following in Tesla’s footsteps, but they’re extremely far behind in real-world data. Tesla has built a massive first-mover advantage in AI and autonomy, and others are now playing catch-up.

We’re excited to see how Tesla’s future deployment of its Dojo Supercomputer for Data Labelling adds to its pre-existing lead, and how Cortex will be able to expand, as well as what competitors are going to be bringing to the table. After all, competition breeds innovation - and that’s how Tesla innovated in the EV space to begin with.

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