Person Claiming To Be a Tesla Salesman Says Customers Don't Get To Choose Battery

Yesterday I published an article discussing some potential battery options for the upcoming Tesla Juniper Model Y refresh and my discussion was based on The Electric Viking's report that the refreshed Juniper Model Y will have a new battery.

In that report I said that if Tesla is going to have a new battery in the upcoming Juniper Model Y refresh, it is likely to be the LFP or the M3P battery. But one person, probably named Jose Calitino (Youtube username josecalitino1735) commented under Torque News video and gave us some interesting insights, saying when the Juniper Model Y refresh will come and why the Tesla customers don't get to choose their battery.

Calitino wrote:

I sell Teslas in Fremont. A couple of things to consider...

1. This "project juniper" will not be released before Model 3 Refresh fully ramps which should take 8-10 months once it's launched in the U.S.

2. We Advisors are under strict instruction to NOT disclose the battery chemistry of any of our vehicles as it is subject to change at our discretion and without notice.

3. The U.S. law makers are directly targeting Tesla and any partnerships or involvement with Chinese companies. So to speculate that CATL will be supplying the batteries for the Refreshed Model Y is sort of irresponsible.

I get that you need to make content and it's fun to speculate however it gives customers a sense that they can choose what battery they get in their vehicle. They do not. Again, we cannot disclose the battery chemistry. I hope I'm wrong because of that car is as cool as the Refreshed Model 3 sales are going to explode but we need to tamper our expectations here until it's physically real.

Thanks for your well-informed comment Jose, it's valuable to have insights from someone on the ground at Tesla. To your points:

1. Patience and Perspective:

Totally agree, Project Juniper is still a ways off. Let's give the Model 3 refresh its time to shine first! Your timeline of 8-10 months seems reasonable, and it's wise to manage expectations until we have concrete information. Thus, since Tesla started the Model 3 Refresh's deliveries in October, we should reasonably expected the Model Y Juniper refresh sometimes in June 2024. This is exactly when we expected the Model Y refresh from Tesla Giga Shanghai as well, which is expected sooner than we previously thought.

2. Respecting Confidentiality:

I understand the strict instructions around battery chemistry – that's confidential information for a reason. My apologies if any speculation on my part led to confusion about customer choice. It's exciting to discuss possibilities, but it's important to clarify that battery specifics are at Tesla's discretion.

3. Balancing Hype and Reality:

You're right, we need to temper our enthusiasm until we have official details. While the "cool factor" is high, let's keep things grounded based on what we actually know. Once Project Juniper becomes real, then the excitement can truly begin!

4. Acknowledging Uncertainty:

I hope I'm wrong too! If the refreshed Model Y is even half as cool as the Model 3 refresh, it's going to be incredible. But for now, let's enjoy the current wave of innovation and wait with bated breath for what's next.

Dear readers what are your thoughts on these issues discussed in this article? Please, write in the comments section for our discussion.

Image source: This image is AI rendered image of an innovative Model Y design.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has more than a decade of expertise in the automotive industry with a special interest in Tesla and electric vehicles.