Canada Gets A $29,500 Tesla Model 3 With Ventilated Seats But There’s A Catch

It’s amazing how much better and cheaper electric cars have become since the dawn of the modern era. At the launch of the Tesla Model 3, CEO Elon Musk claimed that the promised $35,000 model was impossible at the time. It took until 2019 for that to arrive, and it offered a now-modest 220 miles of range. Since then, inflation’s skyrocketed, but mass-market EVs seem to just keep getting cheaper. North of the border, you’re even able to get a brand new Model 3 for less than $30,000 in greenbacks.

In Canada, a rear-wheel-drive Model 3 Premium has a sticker price of $41,990 including freight. At the current currency conversion rate, that works out to just under $29,500 for a Model 3 with ventilated seats, a panoramic roof, and all the trimmings. So how’s Tesla done that?

If you’ve been following North American car news for the past year or so, you’d likely have heard that the Canadian government is allowing importation of a relatively small number of Chinese-built EVs at a tariff rate of 6.1 percent. The same rate many countries pay, one much lower than the 100 percent tariffs implemented several years ago, and one that lets Tesla bring a bunch of cars across the Pacific under the import cap.

As you’d probably expect, this Model 3 isn’t identical to the one sold in America, and the biggest difference is that it seems to use a smaller battery pack. While official specs are opaque, the Canadian government rates the imported-from-China Model 3 Premium RWD at 15.3 kWh/100km combined with a range of 463 km, or 288 miles. In theory, that works out to roughly 70.8 kWh of usable net battery pack capacity. Even assuming a buffer of several kWh, that’s a smaller pack than the 78.1 kWh unit in American Premium RWD models, which is good for 363 miles of range. Acceleration’s also a good clip slower on the Canadian market car, with a claimed zero-to-62 mph time of 6.2 seconds versus a claimed zero-to-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds for the American-market model.

Even the U.S.-spec base Model 3 with its cloth seats, cheaper looking wheel covers, and entry level specs offers 33 miles more range than the Canadian-spec Model 3 Premium. However, it’s also significantly more expensive than Canada’s cheapest new Tesla, and in the market, this nerfed Model 3 seems to be positioned right.

A Chevrolet Bolt has a combined range of 262 miles and has a base sticker price $699 Canadian more than the Canadian Model 3. It’s an excellent choice if hatchback practicality, a higher seating position, or not getting flipped off on your commute is desired, and the Canadian government will even sweeten the deal a bit. Because the Bolt isn’t made in China, it’s eligible for a $5,000 Canadian instant rebate off the after-tax purchase price, which makes it 3,815 loonies cheaper than the Tesla. It might not have as many toys or quite as much range, but four figures is four figures.

It’s a similar deal with the Kia EV4 Wind. On paper, it has a Canadian sticker price of $45,180, but after the federal rebate, Canadians are looking at around $40,756 for a spacious electric sedan with huge range. A rating of 552 km or 342 miles, to be precise. Sure, it doesn’t have nearly as many gizmos as the bargain Model 3, but it’s further proof that the roughly-$40,000 Canadian EV market is booming north of the border.

There’s more where that came from, too. A Subaru Uncharted with 399 km or 248 miles of range stickers for less than $40,000 Canadian with the federal incentive applied. A Nissan Leaf S+ with 488 km costs less than $43,250 Canadian with the incentive applied. A Hyundai Kona Electric with 420 km or 260 miles of range costs $44,720 Canadian after the federal incentive. It’s a massively growing price bracket, and the Canadian Model 3 Premium RWD sits right in the pocket.

Objectively, if you look past the baggage with the Tesla name that Canadians find especially weighty, the current Model 3 is a pretty good car. A major update three years ago completely fixed the ride quality, storage space is good, the seats are comfortable, and native Tesla Supercharger support is a big benefit on road trips. The build quality of Shanghai-assembled models also seems to be noticeably better than that of Fremont-assembled cars, with nicer paint and more consistent panel gaps. It drives with more sophistication than many entry-level EVs, making it a reasonably solid bet in this increasingly competitive segment. So long as the range and image aren’t a turn-off, there are good reasons for someone in Canada to buy a cheap Model 3, but it’s still worth driving everything in the price bracket before signing on the dotted line.

In this competitive set, my money’s still on the Kia EV4 Wind because I’d happily trade some toys and pleather for an extra 89 kilometers (50 miles) of range. However, a Model 3 for that sort of money is difficult to beat if you want a daily driver that’s a little bit eager.

Top graphic image: Tesla