Tesla has officially added made-in-China (MIC) Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to its Canadian inventory, confirming the American EV maker has shipped vehicles from its Shanghai Gigafactory to North America, according to Drive Tesla Canada.
We previously reported that Tesla was preparing an initial shipment of Model 3 vehicles for the Canadian market back in November 2022, based on a Reuters report, with a second shipment reportedly heading towards North America this month, which will reportedly include Model Y Performance units.
Now, Tesla’s website shows a handful of Model 3 and Model Y units in the company’s Canadian inventory that feature the “LRW” lettering in their VINs, which is assigned to cars built at the Chinese factory.
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As per Drive Tesla Canada, which reviewed the carmaker’s website, there were seven Model Ys “ready for delivery” in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. These are rear-wheel drive vehicles that feature lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries giving them a range of 245 miles (394 kilometers) and a 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) time of 6.9 seconds.
Moreover, the Model Y RWDs are available in black and red, only with 19-inch Gemini wheels, and only with a black interior.
Interestingly, when Reuters published a piece saying that Tesla will export EVs from its Shanghai Gigafactory to the United States, Elon Musk simply replied on Twitter by saying “False.” However, the outspoken CEO said nothing about Canada, where a $5,000 country-wide incentive is available for buying an EV manufactured anywhere in the world, plus any other regional incentives that may be offered.
Tesla is presumably going down this route to take advantage of all the different tax credits and incentives that are active in Canada and the United States. While Canada accepts foreign-made EVs, the story in the United States is a bit different, courtesy of the Inflation Reduction Act which requires a certain amount of battery components to be made in the US to qualify for a tax credit – be it $3,750 or $7,500.
At the same time, Tesla is likely pulling all the stops to use its Fremont and Austin Gigafactories to deliver as many EVs as possible inside the United States as possible.
As always, we’d like to know what you think about this, so head over to the comments section below to give us your thoughts.
