Electric Car News - The Tesla Model Y Electric Car Lease gets a full Juniper update

A full Juniper update For The Tesla Model Y Electric Car Lease

In 2020 the seminal brand was Tesla. What Elon Musk achieved in the UK was nothing short of amazing, bringing about the Model 3 as a competitive, affordable and functional electric car for all. This was really the car of a generation and helped instil a confidence and backing for lithium-ion transport which effectively triggered mass-adoption.

Shortly followed by the Model Y SUV, the Tesla group have enjoyed some considerable success in the UK. Even in 2025, the Elon Musk brainchild was standing at the top of tree, with the Model 3 as the most prolific upper medium saloon (with 21,288 registrations) and the Model Y as the most prolific MPV (with 24,298 registrations).

As you can furnish from the SMMT news and stats  the electric car industry really catapulted in 2025, especially in the business and fleet sector (where Tesla also dominated). However, going into 2026, January saw no Tesla models featuring in the top-10 registrations, with brands like Jaecoo, BYD and VW being the focal points.

This may be explained by the mid-life update on the Model Y, which for 2026 will be referred to as the Juniper generation. Receiving some battery and specification updates, the robust SUV looks set to take on the growing volume of Chinese options entering the UK.

Almost overnight, cars like BYD, Changan, Geely, GWM, Jaecoo and Omoda are being adopted by the UK leasing market. With Tesla focusing on projects other than EVs, like AI, robotics and solar, there are questions surrounding the longevity of the brand as the UK’s best-seller in the market.

As reported in INSIDE EVs Germany, the VW Group have “sneakily” become the product of choice with the brand clearing their 2 millionth registration for Volkswagen alone. This doesn’t include Audi, Skoda or Cupra. In Germany, the surge of BEV registrations (just under 43,000) saw the VW group do very well. Indeed across Europe, the likes of the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7 remain top-sellers.

Reporting in CNBC Tesla’s continued decline in Europe equated to a 17% year on year decline and the 13th consecutive month of decline. In China, the growth of their homegrown talents like BYD and Geely have reduced their market share and influence.

But is this a bad thing? Only last month (Feb 2026) the group announced the Model S and X would be continued, with the group rationalising its product offering. For the UK, the Cybertruck will never enter the market, nor will the Roadster (hyper car) or a cost-effective hatchback.

This means the Model 3 and Y seem to be the only solutions being offered to personal and business customers for the short-medium term. This does restrict their access to customers, with the UK being a diverse market of small, medium and large automobiles.

Product choice isn’t exactly high on the agenda. Price fluctuations have not assisted either, with Tesla varying levels of support and discounts across the numerous markets from month to month. At times, the aggressive new car discounting created a situation where a new Tesla was cheaper than the used options going through the auctions.

For finance companies and lenders trying to set Residual Values and consistency, this just doesn’t help. As a result, the UK has seen more push-back on the topsy-turvy price strategy, leading to more punishing RV’s and pricing strategies from those finance companies. To coin a phrase, the tail does not wag the dog.

However, the Tesla group still have a big part to play in the new and used EV markets, more so in the fleet and business sector. Customers with high-mileage needs can rely on the Tesla battery and car quality plus an assortment of accessible and reliable charging solutions.

The recent revisions of the Model Y have seen more strongly defined aesthetics, finishes and technology allowing the car to match the demands being placed on them via other competition from Europe and China. Yet this has not been done at the detriment of the battery range and charging speeds. These still remain wholly robust.

Tesla are not a brand to be underestimated; they helped make the UK’s BEV market what it is in 2026 and their contributions and hard work should not be forgotten, regardless of their moves going forwards.

As at March 2026, the key models on offer to our e-car lease customers on the Model Y  include:

• Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) – from £41,990 the base model includes tinted glass, wireless phone charger, 8 exterior cameras, blind spot monitoring and collision, front-facing camera, reversing camera, traffic-aware cruise control, powered tailgate, 15.4” touchscreen, navigation, power folding mirrors, 7 speaker immersive sound, LED lights, fixed glass roof, heated steering wheel, textile/vegan leather upholstery, 12-way powered adjustable seats with lumbar, dashcam and sentry mode, keyless entry and 19” alloys;         

• Premium Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) – from £48,990 the Premium option includes19” alloys,  ambient lighting, high-comfort soft ventilated seats, 16” touchscreen, increased aerodynamics, 2nd row 8” touchscreen, power recline seats, full Bluetooth compatibility, optimised Phone Key, Wi-Fi connectivity, premium suspension,9 invisible speakers (with max performance) and acoustic glass;       
• Premium All Wheel Drive (AWD) – from £51,990 this updates the motor and drive system; and 
• Performance All Wheel Drive (AWD) – from £61,990 the sports model offers ventilated performance seats, distinct performance badging, increased stability, 21” Arachnid alloys, high-voltage performance battery cells, adaptive suspension, stability assist mode, tinted glass with infrared reflective coating and a 15-speaker sound system with 1 subwoofer. 

Key colours include Stealth Grey, Pearl White, Diamond Black, Marine Blue, Quicksilver and Ultra Red.

In terms of the additional extras, add the tow hitch (for £1,350), the 20” Helix alloys or one of the autopilot packages. The “self-driving” options include the Enhanced Autopilot (assisted on and off ramp motorway driving, dumb summon, smart summon and autopark) and Full Self-Driving Capability (traffic light and stop controls).

Configure your perfect option on the Tesla website.

All Model Y options will come with their 4 years (or 60,000 miles) warranty for the vehicle and 8 years (or 100,000 miles) for the battery. They perform as per the below:

•  Juniper Standard- with a usable battery of 60 kWh this RWD SUV offers 220kW (295hp), top speeds of 125mph and 0-62 times of 7.2 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 195 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 270 miles (on a full charge) -  235 miles combined. The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 6 hours and 30 minutes with the 175 kW DC enabling 10-80% in 24 minutes. The Model Y has no confirmed Bidirectional charging. It has a 158 mpg equivalent, 854L cargo volume (2118L with the seats down) and towing capabilities are 750kg (Unbraked) and 1600kg (Braked) The heat pump is available as a standard option;
•  Juniper Premium RWD -  with a usable battery of 79 kWh this RWD SUV offers 220kW (295hp), top speeds of 125mph and 0-62 times of 5.6 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 255 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 355 miles (on a full charge) - 305 miles combined . The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 8 hours and 30 minutes with the 250kW DC enabling 10-80% in 28 minutes. The Model Y has no confirmed Bidirectional charging. It has a 156 mpg equivalent, 854L cargo volume (2138L with the seats down) and towing capabilities are 750kg (Unbraked) and 1600kg (Braked) The heat pump is available as a standard option;

•  Juniper Premium AWD -  with a usable battery of 79 kWh this AWD SUV offers 387kW (507hp), top speeds of 125mph and 0-62 times of 4.8 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 245 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 340 miles (on a full charge) - 295 miles combined . The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 8 hours and 30 minutes with the 250kW DC enabling 10-80% in 29 minutes. The Model Y has no confirmed Bidirectional charging. It has a 151mpg equivalent, 854L cargo volume (2138L with the seats down) and towing capabilities are 750kg (Unbraked) and 1600kg (Braked) The heat pump is available as a standard option; and
•  Juniper Performance - with a usable battery of 79 kWh this AWD SUV offers 461kW (618hp), top speeds of 155mph and 0-62 times of 3.8 seconds. Real-world ranges suggest a combined 240 miles in colder weather with warmer temperatures to allow for 330 miles (on a full charge) - 285 miles combined . The 11kW AC allows for 0-100% charging times of 8 hours and 15 minutes with the 250kW DC enabling 10-80% in 27 minutes. The Model Y has no confirmed Bidirectional charging. It has a 146 mpg equivalent, 854L cargo volume (2138L with the seats down) and towing capabilities are 750kg (Unbraked) and 1600kg (Braked) The heat pump is available as a standard option.

Want to know more about going into Tesla SUV?

Head to our dedicated Tesla special offers section or speak to our experts directly on 01942 910 001 or by emailing us at [email protected]