Tesla Model Y History

The Model Y is a compact crossover built on the Model 3's platform, sharing roughly three-quarters of its parts but adding a taller, more practical body with a hatchback and optional third row. It entered production in January 2020 and quickly became Tesla's volume leader, manufactured across factories in California, Texas, China, and Germany.

Offered in rear- and all-wheel-drive Long Range and Performance forms, the Model Y reached a milestone in 2023 by becoming the world's best-selling vehicle of any type — the first electric car ever to top that global chart — before slipping behind the Toyota RAV4 again in 2024.

A 2025 refresh, codenamed 'Juniper,' brought a full-width front light bar, a larger touchscreen, quieter cabin and revised suspension, with an extended-wheelbase six-seat 'Model Y L' added later that year.