Toronto, Ontario — Canadian Tesla customers who were hoping to receive a new ride from the automaker’s flagship Fremont, Calif. assembly plant got a surprise in their inboxes recently, as Tesla said via email that Canadian orders for a Model Y variant are being canceled, citing that the “vehicle configuration is no longer available.”
The email, of which a copy was obtained by Drive Tesla Canada, states that refunds are on the way for customers who have orders placed for a Fremont-built Model Y Long Range model.
This news comes not long after the automaker’s announcement that Canadian summer deliveries of Model Y vehicles will be coming from Tesla’s Shanghai production line. These Chinese-built models are a slightly cheaper, rear-wheel-drive variant of the popular Model Y that are priced to qualify for Canada’s $5,000 EV purchase incentive.
The Model Ys from Shanghai, while still bearing the “Long Range” descriptor, have been found to possess a slightly shorter range than its California-built counterparts, recording a maximum range of 497 kilometres, as compared to 531 kilometres.
Sources close to Drive Tesla Canada with knowledge of Model Y design say this decrease in range is the result of a smaller 79kWh LG battery pack, which, according to European reports, also charges slightly slower, but has better cold weather performance and a slower rate of degradation.
The Fremont-built Model Y, on the other hand, contains a 82kWh battery pack from Panasonic.
In this case, customers have until June 23 to decide whether they want to have their vehicle design updated to a Chinese-built Model Y, or receive an automatic refund.
A copy of the email obtained by Drive Tesla Canada can be seen below.
