Tesla Model Y "Juniper" Pre-Orders Hit 200,000 Units in China

Despite Tesla facing boycott calls over CEO Elon Musk’s perceived support for Trump’s controversial plans, the 2025 Model Y “Juniper” is seeing strong demand in China. As CarNewsChina reported, pre-orders have reached 200,000 units since the refreshed model was launched in Jan this year before deliveries started last month.

Tesla sales staff indicate that Tesla stores in Beijing alone were securing around 100 new daily orders leading up to deliveries. This however does include the initial “refundable deposit” pre-orders offered by Tesla China that has since been removed in place of the standard "non-refundable deposit” policy.

In the first week after deliveries began, over 6,000 units of the refreshed Model Y were handed over to buyers in China. The launch lineup featured two variants similar to Malaysia - Rear-Wheel-Drive and Long-Range All-Wheel-Drive. However unlike Malaysia where the “Launch Series” is still up for grabs, in China it was removed on Feb 28. 

Current waiting periods for the Tesla Model Y times vary by model. The rear-wheel-drive version is estimated at 2-4 weeks, while the long-range all-wheel-drive variant may take 6-10 weeks for delivery, according to Tesla’s Chinese website.

The 2025 Model Y for Malaysia is expected to begin delivery in April, a quick check on Tesla Malaysia’s website shows any new order the waiting period will be 3-months or Jun 2025.  Although we do not have any data for the Malaysian order books, in China the popular option is the long-range variant.

Additionally, another important point was although in China an updated advanced driver-assistance features resembling Full Self-Driving (FSD) is being offered, Tesla sales staff are advising customers against immediately purchasing the FSD package, citing the system’s reliance on foreign data, which may not yet be optimized for Chinese roads.

Instead, they recommend opting for a monthly subscription option of FSD which will be offered soon.

CarNewsChina also reported that Tesla is looking to launch the Cybertruck in China despite regulatory hurdles. Pick-up trucks in general are not popular in China but Tesla believes the Cybertruck’s bold, futuristic design could appeal to younger consumers and reinvigorate the brand’s image in China.