Tesla rolled out its refreshed Model Y, codenamed Juniper, in the United States last year. The updated styling featured a few exterior changes, including a front light bar reminiscent of the Cybertruck. However, the new rear light bar has left many scratching their heads. One owner in Indiana even reported being pulled over because the police officer didn’t think the taillights were on. Tesla’s roundabout method of meeting federal regulations is just confusing to most people.
The confusion stems from the fact that the new Model Y’s rear light bar isn’t directly visible from behind. The light itself reflects off the bodywork. According to a blog called Tesla Oracle, the owner claimed on Facebook that the officer told him where the brake lights should be and warned him to get them fixed. Now, I don’t think the officer fancied himself as an aspiring car designer. It sounds like he thought the owner installed an aftermarket body kit on his Tesla.
Bending and not breaking the rules
How didn’t the Model Y Juniper end up with a recessed taillight? Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s head of design, and Lars Moravy, the automaker’s VP of vehicle engineering, conveniently explained how on Jay Leno’s Garage last year. Leno even comments before the explanation that “there’s no light here.” When Jay asked about meeting the regulations, Moravy said, “The regulation is how much lumens come off the surface, but it never defines what that surface has to be.” That’s true. There’s also a requirement to have two separate brake lights and turn indicators, and the Model Y fulfills that by also having those as more traditional C-shaped light housings surrounding the edges of the light bar — the indirect reflective light bar is just the running light, it doesn’t illuminate any brighter when the brakes are applied.
While I’d applaud Tesla for implementing a creative taillight design, it wasn’t designed well enough to be obviously functional to the people expected to enforce the law on the road. I don’t want to be pulled over for no reason because a state trooper can’t figure out if my brake lights are working properly. I don’t have much else to say about the Model Y refresh either. I’m just not a fan of the blobby design. Tesla is in desperate need of a new blank slate model. The only thing the automaker needs more is a new CEO.
