Tesla pauses Model 3 orders in Canada amid China EV quota

This is Canada news, not US, but worth knowing if you're cross-border shopping or just tracking EV prices. Tesla has stopped taking orders for the Model 3 Premium in Canada, the lower-cost version built in Shanghai that had been priced at $39,490 CAD, roughly what a base Camry costs. Tesla says it used up its allotment of permits under Canada's import quota for Chinese-made EVs and doesn't expect to reopen orders until March 2027. Right now the only Model 3 you can order in Canada is the pricier Performance version.

Canada's own tracking numbers tell a different story: of the 49,000 permits available for Chinese-made EVs this year, only about 16,000 have been used, leaving two-thirds of the quota untouched. One theory is that the government quietly set aside part of the quota for other automakers like BYD and Geely, who are still building out their Canadian networks, rather than letting Tesla claim it all.

For homeowners thinking about an EV purchase, the takeaway is that the cheapest Model 3 option in Canada is on hold until spring at the earliest, and it's unclear whether that's a hard supply limit or a policy decision by the Canadian government. If you're in Canada and had been waiting for that lower price, you may want to watch for updates as the situation develops.