Tesla is preparing to start deliveries of the Model 3 Performance in Canada, but there is a surprising twist in the story as some customers will receive a car built in China, while others will receive one built in the US.
Tesla announced the Model 3 Performance for the North American market back in April. The first Canadian deliveries were initially expected to begin in June, but halfway through August and no cars have been delivered north of the border yet. But they should start soon, as customers have been assigned VINs (Vehicle Identification Numbers), a move that typically happens a few weeks before the delivery is scheduled.
These VINs have revealed an interest twist, in that some customers will be getting a Model 3 Performance built in the US, and not China. This is according to several members of the TMC forum, who have shared screenshots of their VIN, showing they start with 5YJ. These three letters that indicate it is built at Fremont, and not Giga Shanghai, which starts with LRW.
This was an important change. As we have previously reported, the Chinese version comes with slightly less horsepower because Giga Shanghai installs a 79kWh battery pack from LG, compared to the 82kWh battery pack from Panasonic that the Fremont factory uses.
However, this doesn’t mean you will be getting a faster Model 3 Performance with the Panasonic battery pack. Delivery Advisors, who have access to detailed build information about each car, have confirmed Tesla is installing LG battery packs in Model 3 Performance cars built at Fremont destined for Canada.
When it was revealed that Tesla was importing the car from China with slightly lesser specs, many suggested the one saving grace was that Giga Shanghai is known to have superior build quality compared to the Fremont factory, so having marginally less horsepower was somewhat offset by having a more solidly built car. Now with Tesla putting the LG pack in cars built in the US, it is also being suggested that this is the worst possible scenario – a US built car with less horsepower.
While it is true that Giga Shanghai has great build quality, it is also true that Fremont has improved its quality over the years, and most wouldn’t be able to tell which vehicle a factory was built at without being told.
If you are waiting for your Model 3 Performance, it looks like a bonus in getting a US built car is that you will get your Model 3 Performance quicker, as the first deliveries of these cars is expected to begin later this week or early next week. Deliveries of the Chinese-made cars is not expected to begin until later this month or into September.
