Tesla applied another intriguing change to its lineup in Canada, which potentially means that the manufacturer changes from where the cars are imported.
Most recently, the Tesla Model Y Performance’s range rating on Tesla’s website in Canada decreased from 303 miles (488 km) according to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and EPA, to 285 miles (459 km). That’s nearly 6 percent less than before. Not only that, there is now only one “All Black” interior option.
Tesla Model Y Performance in Canada:
- range (EPA est.): 285 miles (459 km)
[18 miles or 5.9% less than before – 303 miles (488 km)]
According to Drive Tesla Canada, this mysterious change applied to the Tesla Model Y Performance might be related to the switch from importing from the US to importing from China.
“Tesla has not made any official comment about this change, not even to employees. According to internal communication obtained by Drive Tesla, the automaker simply told employees there had been a product update to the Model Y, and to refer to the public Design Studio for additional details. However based on similar recent changes, we believe this change is to reflect that the Model Y Performance being sold in Canada is now going to be coming from China.”
It’s worth noting that in April, Tesla introduced in Canada a new rear-wheel drive Tesla Model Y RWD (with LFP battery), which is expected to be imported from China. This model is also available only with a black interior.
Additionally, there was a report that the Tesla Model 3 RWD (LFP-powered) will be imported to Canada (or even to North America in general).
Well, it’s too early to confirm anything, but there seems to be a big chance that multiple Model 3/Model Y versions, available in Canada, will be produced in China at the Tesla Giga Shanghai plant.
We don’t know what would prompt such change, but maybe Tesla intends to focus all its car and battery manufacturing capacity in the United States on production for local needs to fully utilize the $7,500 federal tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). For Canada, it does not matter where the car was produced. It might be a general business decision related to other things too.
