Tesla has expanded its Canadian Model 3 lineup, adding a new Shanghai-built Premium All-Wheel Drive (AWD) variant to its online configurator. With the vehicle now coming from China, Tesla has been able to significantly lower the price of the popular electric sedan.
The new trim slots between the recently launched Premium Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and the Model 3 Performance, starting at just $49,990. Like the other Shanghai-built Model 3 variants now available in Canada, the vehicle does not qualify for the $5,000 federal EVAP rebate due to it coming from China, a country that does not have a free trade agreement with Canada.
However, it is eligible for provincial incentives like in Quebec, where buyers can take an additional $2,000 off.
As we previously noted, this price is significantly lower than what Canadian buyers were paying for the Model 3 AWD before tariffs came into play. In early 2025, the Fremont-built version was priced at $68,990, some $19,000 more expensive now that Tesla is sourcing the vehicle from China.
Once U.S. tariffs took effect, that price climbed to $79,990, making the vehicle $30,000 less expensive than it was earlier this year.
Long Range, AWD, and Familiar Tesla Specs
Buyers will get a lot of value for that price. The Long Range AWD Model 3 delivers 572 km of EPA-estimated range, a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.4 seconds, and a top speed of 201 km/h.
Unlike the Premium RWD, which has seen several controversial specification revisions since launching in Canada, the Premium AWD arrives with more familiar Tesla specifications. The vehicle includes Dual Motor AWD, 250 kW Supercharging capability, an 8-year/192,000 km battery and drive unit warranty, and Tesla’s premium audio system with 17 speakers, dual subwoofers, and dual amplifiers.
These specs largely match what we have come to expect from the Long Range AWD Model 3, which should provide more confidence than the recently launched Premium RWD.
Filling the Gap Between RWD and Performance
The addition of the Premium AWD fills a significant gap in Tesla’s Canadian lineup. When Tesla first resumed Model 3 sales in Canada with vehicles sourced from Giga Shanghai, only the Premium RWD and Performance variants were available. While the RWD variant had an incredible sub-$40K price, it had only 463 km of range. While that is plenty of range for the majority of buyers, there were some who wanted/needed more.
The only option was to upgrade to the Performance, but that came with its own drawbacks – most significantly a $35K price jump, and for only an additional 42km of range.
The introduction of the AWD model provides buyers with a middle-ground option, offering substantially more range and AWD capability without stretching to the $74,990 Performance trim.
According to Tesla’s online configurator, first deliveries of the Premium AWD are expected to begin in August or September 2026.
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