The German government troubled Tesla two years ago by removing the Model S from the list of EVs eligible for subsidies. The regulation has an upper limit of €60,000, and therefore, Tesla decided to roll out the Model 3 at €44,500 for the Standard Range Plus and €54,800 for the Long Range.
Turning our attention back to Canada, there’s no denying Tesla wants most Model 3 customers to order the Standard Range Plus. In this configuration, the electric sedan promises 240 miles (386 kilometers) on a full charge of the lithium-ion battery pack. Those who do order the 93-mile (150-kilometer) version can unlock the battery through an over-the-air update.
This scheming is nothing more than Tesla trying to level the playing field, more so if you remember how much the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona Electric cost. If you don’t, make that $40,698 and $44,999, respectively, excluding the $5,000 government incentives.
EV sales counted for 2.2 percent of all passenger vehicles in Canada last year, and EV sales grew by 125 percent compared to 2017. At the end of 2018, no fewer than 93,091 electric vehicles were on the road in the Great White North.
If the Model Y is more interesting to you, don’t forget that Standard Range production is scheduled to start in early 2021.
