By Karan Singh
Rumor has it that the Model Y Juniper update is coming soon and this time, user Abomb1997 on Reddit has claimed that the two images in this article show the updated Juniper.
Previously, we reported that the Model Y Juniper will feature a front bumper camera and is expected to launch sometime in 2025.
Codename Juniper
The redesigned Model Y, codenamed “Juniper,” won’t launch in 2024 according to Elon Musk, but we’ve already seen prototypes of development vehicles. We’ve already seen the front bumper camera that’s already on the Cybertruck and is expected to be on the Model S and Model X.
There was a lot of speculation that the updated Model 3 Highland would come with a bumper camera, but it didn’t come with one. It could be that the bumper camera upgrade is part of AI5 – the fifth-generation FSD/Autopilot hardware. Elon mentioned today that AI5 is expected to enter mass production in 18 months.
Light bar
It looks like these two leaked images show some unique features – the first is a light bar on the back of the vehicle. This looks interesting and is something we haven’t seen in any Tesla design, aside from the front of the Cybertruck. This could indicate that Tesla is leaning towards Cyber style with its vehicles, and we’re fans of it.
The second image shows the interior with ambient lighting on the door and what appear to be perforated seats. This means that the revised Model Y – if it is – will have ventilated seats, a feature that the 2024 Model 3 also has.
Changes in ambient lighting
In terms of ambient lighting and dashboard, it looks noticeably different from the refreshed Model 3, so as not to be the same vehicle. The light bar on the door appears to end in the middle of the door, instead of reaching almost to the edge of the door on the 2024 Model 3.
We’re excited to see these improvements, and there’s likely a lot more to come. If these leaks are accurate, Tesla seems to want to make the redesigned Model Y more than just a larger Model 3, or they’re taking the opportunity to add new features to the Model Y first.
The redesigned Model Y Juniper will be an even better version of the world’s best-selling vehicle.
By Karan Singh
In early 2023, Tesla launched its FSD Hardware 4.0 – now known as AI4 – an improved version of Hardware 3 with various benefits. This hardware launch initially got off to a rocky start, as FSD and Autopilot were not available for newly delivered vehicles.
Today, however, AI4 is the next step on the road to full autonomy. While Tesla has not yet abandoned or deprecated HW3 – and has no plans to do so – it is still important to find out what hardware your vehicle has. This is especially true for those who have paid for or subscribed to FSD – as it looks like AI4 will receive major FSD updates ahead of Hardware 3 in the future, which will require optimization.
So let’s look at what improvements AI4 offers, the fact that there is no upgrade path from Hardware 3, and finally a few simple ways to differentiate FSD Hardware 3 from Hardware 4/AI4.
HW4 / AI4 improvements
AI4 brought several improvements, including new cameras, new electrics and wiring harnesses, and most importantly, improved computing power.
The new cameras offer improved resolution for better detail. The rear camera on the AI4 has a resolution of 1448 x 938 versus 1280 x 960 on the Hardware 3. However, there are much bigger differences in the front cameras. HW4/AI4 has a resolution of 2896 x 1876, while HW3 has a resolution of 1280 x 960. That’s a huge improvement in quality – plus the telltale red tint makes for better low-light performance. The video below compares the differences between HW3 and HW4.
Musk previously said that HW4 is about 3-5x faster than Hardware 3, although all of the processing power is not yet being utilized. We will likely see the full power of HW4 come to fruition with the divergence of HW4 later this year.
How to tell if you have HW3 or HW4/AI4
There are a few easy ways to tell if you have hardware 3 or AI4. Unfortunately, Tesla doesn’t provide any information in the app or in the vehicle that simply tells you which FSD hardware you have, so here are a few ways to tell them apart.
Delivery date
The first depends on your model and delivery date. If you bought Model S or X, you probably have AI4 if you bought after March 2023. If you have a Model Y, it’s after the end of May 2023 for US-made vehicles. The updated 2024 Model 3 has HW4, but if you have a 2017-2023 Model 3, you have Hardware 3.
Red camera lenses
If you are unsure of the delivery date of your vehicle or want to confirm it, please see the vehicle yourself. HW4/AI4 has cameras with red lenses – the easiest way to tell is on the front cameras – where there are two red lenses and one black (fake) lens. AI4 has removed the 3rd Front camera, as the cameras now have a higher resolution.
The repeater cameras also differ slightly: they have the same shade of red, but have a smaller and narrower indicator.
No retrofit to HW4
Elon Musk and Tesla have confirmed that Tesla will not offer a retrofit for older vehicles, unlike AP 2.5 or AP 2. This is not a surprising move, especially given that there is an entirely new wiring harness and a new cooling harness for the compute unit in AI4.
This in turn means that it is not possible to upgrade HW3 vehicles to AI4 due to AI4’s different form factor. Retrofitting would be a complex and expensive task that would likely require building a custom solution to fit into HW3 vehicles. This also brings other complications, such as overloading Tesla’s service. Instead, Tesla will continue to do it on a software basis – tweaking and updating the FSD models to work well on hardware 3.
