Tesla has now made it official. It updated the Tesla Model Y Long Range in Canada to show as an import from China. The model that's produced at Tesla's Giga Shanghai will be priced the same as the US-built Model Y crossovers previously sold in Canada, but the Chinese version doesn't have as much range.
When we first learned Tesla was shipping EVs from China to North America, it seemed perhaps either CEO Elon Musk has lied or misled in the past, or something had changed over time. However, looking back at exchanges about the potential for the imports proved that Musk said they wouldn't be coming from China to the US. That leaves Canada wide open, and Canada makes much more sense anyhow.
If Tesla can free up more US-made Model Y SUVs to be sold on our shores, more people will be able to take advantage of the new US federal EV tax credit. The automaker can do so by stopping exports to Canada.
Imports from China can make up for the lost inventory in Canada, and it won't negatively impact tax incentives in the country as it would in the US. The situation must be working out well since Tesla has shipped upwards of 10,000 EVs from China to Canada thus far in Q2 2023.
As Tesla reworks its lineup in Canada and other countries, it's also now offering a cheaper, Model Y RWD that starts at $59,990 CAD. According to Electrek, folks in Canada can pick up this version of the Model Y and get up to $12,000 in incentives. The new version is also coming from Tesla's Giga Shanghai factory in China.
As far as the China-made Model Y Long Range is concerned, Tesla says it has 497 kilometers (km) of estimated driving range. Meanwhile, the version that was coming from the States had 531 km of range. Still, it carries the same starting price of $69,990 CAD.
Electrek notes that the reduced range suggests Tesla may be using LFP battery chemistry for the China-made Model Y Long Range, though we don't know for sure.
