Author: EVAI

• The refreshed Tesla Model Y codenamed “Juniper” could debut in the first quarter of 2025.
• It could add the seven-seater option for the Europea and Chinese markets.

The Tesla Model Y is a global success story, but like any car, there comes a time when it needs to go under the knife for its midlife nip and tuck. We know Tesla will give the Model Y a major overhaul like it did with the Model 3, but we don’t know what exactly it plans to modify and, more importantly, when it intends to launch the updated model.

Elon Musk made it clear in a June tweet that we wouldn’t see the refreshed crossover this year. This could result in a sales decline for Tesla, though, in a segment of the market that seems to be gaining a talented and tempting new Model Y rivaling crossover every other day. There are already plenty of alternatives to the Model Y.

However, China’s National Business Daily reports that the first quarter of 2025 will see the unveiling of the revised Model Y. The report cites an anonymous Tesla supplier source, speculating that the updated Model Y will debut in two variants, with either five or seven seats. This means the seven-seater Model Y, previously exclusive to the American market where the option costs $2,000 (or $1,000 in combination with other options), could be available in both China and Europe in Q4 2025.

Take the information of the Q1 2025 reveal with a grain of salt, though, as the information cannot be verified or confirmed. The same publication said in September 2023 that the revised Model Y was coming in the first half of 2024, and that didn’t happen.

We know the Model Y facelift is coming, and we have seen a camouflaged prototype that confirms it. Tesla has apparently dedicated the rest of this year to working on the self-driving Robotaxi, which will be unveiled during a special event in October. Model Y sales are still strong worldwide, so giving it a makeover in 2024 apparently wasn’t crucial for Tesla. The wave of layoffs that swept the company this year may have also pushed it back.

Many of the changes will mirror what Tesla did when updating the Model 3. The Model Y will have completely revised front and rear fascias (which could have full-width light bars), new wheel designs and new colors. Inside, Tesla will remove all the stalks behind the steering wheel, upgrade the central infotainment screen and improve the quality of the trim materials as well as how everything is screwed together.

The updated made-in-China Model 3 that we tested earlier this year felt like a huge step up in terms of assembly quality, and we expect the same to be true for the 2025 Model Y. Tesla softened the suspension considerably in the revised Model 3, which made ride comfort far better than before, and the Model Y will get a similar suspension setup.

Following the formula set by the new Model 3 Performance, Tesla will likely give the Model Y Performance more aggressive front and rear bumpers as well as more body-hugging sports seats inside. It will have bigger brakes and adaptive dampers as well as more power than the pre-refresh model. More about the revised Model Y could be made public during the Robotaxi reveal event on October 10.

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The tri-motor Lucid Air Sapphire provides a quick means of escape from trouble, but should no escape route be available, there’s now an armored version as well.

California-based U.S. Armor Group has made the electric luxury sedan bullet-resistant. The company will outfit an Air Sapphire with composite armor that it claims is 10 times stronger than ballistic steel, but five times lighter. Bullet-resistant material also replaces the factory glass, and is strong enough to stop a round from a .44 Magnum, the company claims. The armor package adds 385 pounds to the Sapphire’s curb weight.

Armored Lucid Air Sapphire by U.S. Armor Group

U.S. Armor Group can also add countermeasures like electric-shock door handles, pepper spray dispensers, concealed gun ports, and mechanisms for detecting and protecting from poison gas. Further armor upgrades are also available to stop round from high-powered rifles, as well as grenades and other explosive devices.

Cars can also be fitted with a secure communications system that also continuously monitors nearby fire department and police scanners for potential threats, and includes a one-touch call feature that directly connects to the U.S. Armor Group if any issues with the communication system arise.

Armored Lucid Air Sapphire by U.S. Armor Group

With the 1,234 hp and 1,430 lb-ft of torque, the Sapphire is the most powerful sedan in the world—electric or otherwise. Lucid quotes predictably impressive performance numbers, including 0-60 mph in 1.89 seconds and a 205-mph top speed. While it’s not as efficient as other Air models, the Sapphire also manages 427 miles of EPA range, surpassing the longest-range version of the Tesla Model S.

The armored version costs $475,000, which is a big step up from even the $249,000 price of a non-armored Lucid Air Sapphire from the factory. But the target customer likely has a deep well of stock dividends or a national gross domestic product to fund their purchases.

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• Carwow raced the old Tesla Model 3 Perfomance against the latest version.
• The European-spec 2024 Model 3 Performance has less power than the U.S.-spec version.

The latest Tesla Model 3 Performance comes with a lot of kit for the price, including adaptive dampers, nice sports seats and a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain that’s good for 500 horsepower and a zero to 60 miles per hour sprint in just 2.9 seconds–in the United States, at least.

But how does it compare to the pre-facelift model? Those can be had for around $25,000 to $30,000 on the used market, whereas the new model retails for $55,000 without factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit.

British YouTube channel Carwow has the answer to this question, but there are some asterisks that we need to address. First, the 2019 Model 3 Performance you see in the video embedded at the top of this page is a bit of a unicorn. That’s because it has all the Performance kit underneath but it actually looks like a regular Long Range model, so no fancy wheels and no spoiler at the rear.

In stock form, its twin-motor drivetrain makes 450 hp. And here’s where the second asterisk needs addressing–the European-spec 2024 Model 3 Performance makes around 460 hp, so almost identical to the older version.

So, how do they compare in a straight line? One is four years old and has a full battery, while the other is almost brand new and has a 60% state of charge–you’ll need to remember this because it’s important. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’ll just leave it at this: it’s remarkably close.

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• Nissan Leaf owners are getting a new, higher-power, bidirectional charger option
• Using the FE-20 bidirectional charger won’t void the Leaf’s warranty
• Nissan didn’t say how much the FE-20 bidirectional charger costs

Nissan has approved an updated bidirectional charger for use with its Leaf EV, giving owners another option for using their cars as mobile energy sources.

Nissan Leaf models have had the hardware for bidirectional charging since 2013, the automaker noted while announcing approval of the new charger, the 20-kw Fermata Energy FE-20. But Nissan didn’t officially enable or endorse use of the feature in the U.S. until 2022, when it approved use of the Fermata FE-15 charger. Like that 15-kw charger, the FE-20 can be used without voiding a Leaf’s warranty.

2025 Nissan Leaf

The FE-20 boasts some improvements over the FE-15, including 33% more power, an updated design that lowers manufacturing costs, and a lower retail price, according to Nissan, although the automaker did not quote a specific price.

Nissan also promises a greater ability to move energy back and forth between the car and the grid than the FE-15 which, in a proof-of-concept test at the automaker’s Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. headquarters helped reduce electricity bills by $9,450 over four years. Fermata Energy’s own software management tool can help owners achieve these savings by drawing power from a car’s battery pack to help power buildings during high-demand, high-cost periods.

2025 Nissan Leaf

Other companies, such as Wallbox, market bidirectional chargers that could let homeowners use EVs as backup power sources, but that relies on approval from automakers like Nissan. As with the FE-15, the the FE-20 charger was approved for use with the Leaf after it was proven to meet Nissan’s own requirements and received UL 1741 certification.

Nissan hasn’t updated the Leaf in several years, meaning it’s now the only EV still using the CHAdeMO fast-charging standard. It also no longer qualifies for a federal EV tax credit, but it’s still cheaper than the Nissan Versa economy car, in some instances at least. Bidirectional charging provides another reason to consider the aged hatchback beyond a potentially low purchase price.

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