Tesla has rolled out the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive in Canada, a forgotten configuration that the automaker has not made a standard offering in several years.
The rollout makes the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive the third configuration of the all-electric crossover available in the country. It adds to the previously available Model Y Long Range and Performance, both of which are all-wheel-drive options.
Tesla launched the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive in Canada this week, offering the car for $59,990 CAD. The company estimates delivery to be between May and July 2023, based on the buyer’s location.
BREAKING: @Tesla has introduced the Model Y RWD in Canada for $59,990 CAD. Also, all Model Y RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD vehicles now qualify for a $5,000 federal iZEV incentive.
The $5,000 comes directly of the purchase price of the vehicle (after tax). pic.twitter.com/KcYOVRUke4
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) April 21, 2023
In addition to the $59,990 price tag, owners can receive the Model Y with a $5,000 discount due to the federal iZEV (Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles) program, which helps alleviate some of the higher upfront purchase costs of a sustainable vehicle.
The incentive can be applied at the point of sale by the dealership, which makes it slightly different from other incentive programs, which are usually issued in the form of tax credits.
Tesla said that the Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive and the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive both qualify for the iZEV incentive.
The Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive has an estimated range of 394 kilometers (244 miles) and a top speed of 217 kilometers per hour (134.838 MPH).
The vehicle is only available with a black interior in the five-seat configuration, void of the white interior option and seven-seat layout that other Model Y vehicles are capable of.
Interestingly, this configuration is rare and not available in many other markets. In February 2021, CEO Elon Musk said that the Model Y Standard Range would be available “off-menu” because it didn’t meet the Tesla “Standard of Excellence” due to its low range.
It appears that this is the same vehicle, and while it is offered online in Canada, it is still missing from the U.S. Design Studio.
It is not the only Model Y vehicle to receive non-preferential treatment from Tesla. The company brought closure to the Model Y Standard Range All-Wheel-Drive in December 2021.
We reported in February 2021 that Tesla revealed to us that the configuration would not enter production, and many reservation holders were unhappy with the move. The company officially notified reservation holders in December that the Standard Range AWD Model Y was “no longer available.”
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