Vancouver, British Columbia — Chinese-made Tesla Model 3s and Model Ys are now for sale in the Canadian market, according to Tesla’s website.
Reuters reported on May 23 that Tesla had both rear-wheel drive Model Y units and the long-range, all-wheel drive version of the Model 3 available for immediate delivery in British Columbia. The codes on the vehicles matched those manufactured at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. VINs built at the Shanghai factory begin with the letters ‘LRW’, said the Reuters report.
This confirms prior reporting from Reuters that suggested Tesla would be completing shipments to North America from its Shanghai, China factory—something fans of the OEM had suspected following the sudden plummet in the Model Y’s range, reported earlier in May.
Reuters first reported in November 2022 that Tesla was considering plans to export Chinese-made vehicles to the North American market; which CEO Elon Musk said was “false” in a tweeted reply.
False
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 11, 2022
It is not yet clear how many Chinese-built Teslas are for sale, or how many have been purchased, in the Canadian market.
In April, Tesla announced its plan to offer a more affordable version of the Model Y in Canada; a rear-wheel drive version that would qualify for Canadian government incentives.
The Chinese version of the Model Y was listed for $61,990. According to Canada’s federal EV incentives, a “station wagon, pickup truck (light truck), SUV, minivan, van or special purpose vehicle where the base model MSRP is less than $60,000” qualifies for incentives; though “higher priced trims of these vehicles, up to a maximum MSRP of $70,000″ are also eligible for purchase incentives.”
