After months of maneuvering steep import tariffs, Tesla‘s finally brought its first German-built Model Y vehicles to Canadian shores. Several hundred Model Ys arrived at Dartmouth Autoport in Halifax, Nova Scotia over the weekend, marking Tesla’s first direct imports from Europe to Canadian customers. A Reddit user first spotted the vehicles being unloaded on Saturday.
The Berlin shipment represents a major shift in Tesla’s Canadian supply chain. Previously, Canadian customers received Model Ys from Tesla’s Fremont factory in California. The company briefly imported vehicles from Gigafactory Shanghai in mid-2023, but that ended when trade tensions escalated.
Canada’s current tariff structure makes Berlin the smartest choice for Tesla. Chinese-made EVs face 100% tariffs, while US-made vehicles get hit with 25% penalties. By importing from Germany, Tesla avoids these steep costs entirely. This strategy allowed the company to slash the Model Y Long Range AWD price by $20,000 CAD in July. The vehicle now costs $64,990 CAD, about $5,000 below pre-tariff levels.
Tesla’s already assigning Vehicle Identification Numbers to reservation holders. First deliveries should begin within two weeks, with Eastern Canada getting priority due to its proximity to the Nova Scotia port. Customers started receiving VIN confirmations last week, and the delivery process will start with vehicles already on Canadian soil.
Gigafactory Berlin opened in 2022 and has scaled production greatly. The factory celebrated building its 100,000th refreshed Model Y last month. It recently started producing a new Model Y Performance variant, though that’s limited to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand markets. The Berlin facility uses Tesla’s advanced manufacturing with single-piece rear and front frame cast, improving structural integrity and reducing production complexity. The facility’s grown enough to make Canadian exports feasible.
Tesla’s timing couldn’t be more critical. Canadian EV sales slumped in 2025, with Tesla registrations down 67% in the first half. The government’s reportedly halting its Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration is reevaluating EV adoption targets. The company has also started taking orders for its refreshed Model S starting at C$139,990 and Model X at C$149,990.
These lower-cost German imports could help Tesla recover lost market share in Canada’s declining EV market. By accessing vehicles without tariff penalties, Tesla’s positioning itself to stabilize demand while other automakers struggle with the challenging trade environment.