Tesla has quietly expanded its Canadian lineup with the introduction of the Model Y Standard, offering buyers a new lower-priced entry point into the country’s best-selling electric SUV.
According to Tesla’s online configurator, which was updated on Thursday evening, the Model Y Standard is priced at $49,990, some $15,000 less than the Model Y Premium All-Wheel Drive (AWD), which starts at $64,990.
The Canadian Model Y Standard delivers 463 kilometres of range, along with a top speed of 201 km/h and a 0–100 km/h time of 7.2 seconds. While performance figures are more modest than higher-end trims, the focus here is clearly on efficiency, accessibility, and total cost of ownership rather than outright speed.
Like the other Model Y variants sold in Canada, this new Standard model is being imported from Giga Berlin, not the United States, considering its $49,990 price tag. This detail is notable as it allows Tesla to sidestep the current tariff complications affecting U.S.-built vehicles entering Canada, and allows them to actually price it around $5,500 cheaper than the U.S. offering when taking into account the exchange rate (US$39,990 = C$55,529).
The same tariff environment also explains why Tesla has not introduced a Model 3 Standard in Canada at this time despite the trim being available in Europe and the U.S.
The Model Y Standard keeps things simple. Canadian buyers can choose from just three exterior colours: Stealth Grey, which is included in the base price, Pearl White Multi-Coat for $1,300, or Diamond Black for $2,000. Wheel options are also streamlined, with the vehicle fitted exclusively with 18-inch Aperture wheels.
Inside, the configuration is equally focused, with only a black interior featuring textile décor offered, which many customers have preferred over the vegan leather interior on the Premium variants.
Notable, since the vehicles are coming from Giga Berlin, they include FM Radio and Autopilot, both features which are not included on the Model Y Standard in the U.S.
While deliveries for the Model Y Performance, which was only added to the Canadian configurator in December, won’t begin for another couple of months, Tesla says the first deliveries of the Standard trim are expected in just four to six weeks.
Despite its lower price and simplified configuration (you can read more on the features that are left out here), the Model Y Standard still benefits from Tesla’s broader ecosystem, including access to the Supercharger network and the company’s software-driven ownership experience. Full Self-Driving is also available for an additional $11,000, or you can subscribe after purchase for $99 per month.
Will you be buying the Model Y Standard? Let us know in the comments below.
