On 10 January, American EV maker Tesla announced a launch under the codename “Juniper”, a redesigned version of its best-selling Model Y mid-sized SUV in China. This is also the first-ever global reveal of the long-awaited facelift of the “world’s most popular electric vehicle” (according to the Tesla account on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent). The new updated model is priced from 263,500 RMB (35,941.29 USD), 5.4% higher than the China price of previous Tesla Model Y. It will start shipping in March.
The surprise launch, of course, sent shockwaves through social media. The topic “Tesla Model Y” (#特斯拉model y#) reached number 2 on Weibo’s Hot Search list with 33.04 million views within 24 hours. But one of the reasons why it went viral, apart from its price, is Tesla’s copy in its announcement post on Chinese social media: “Compare all you like” (尽管比较). It is apparently directed at Chinese EV makers such as Xiaomi, as Tesla has been facing fierce competition in the market.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun quickly reposted the Weibo post, adding his comment, “Sure.” The Chinse consumer tech giant-turned-EV newcomer announced its own mid-sized electric SUV, the YU7, in early December. Meanwhile, Geely’s Zeekr posted a direct comparison on social media in response to Tesla’s post, saying, “Let’s compare then.” Both these responses earned considerable buzz for the brands.
The surprise launch is similar to how Tesla unveiled its new Model 3 last year. In 2024, Tesla experienced its first global sales decrease in 10 years but still saw an 8.8% growth in China. The Model Y, with its 480,000 vehicles sold, became the best-selling vehicle in China last year. With the aspiring “Model 7 killers” such as Chery and Huawei’s Luxeed R7 and Zeekr 7X following closely behind, Tesla needed to leverage strength in its high-concept technology such as autonomous driving, robots and robotaxis to avoid fighting in the trenches over product, cost and supply chain with Chinese competitors.
