Tesla has officially started assigning Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to Canadian customers for the newly launched Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD), less than a week after orders first opened.
Several of our readers in Ontario and as far east as Nova Scotia have reported receiving VINs through the Tesla app on Thursday morning, with delivery estimates pointing to the first week of June. A VIN assignment is typically one of the final stages before delivery, suggesting that the first shipments are already on their way to Canada.
In case there was any doubt, the assigned VINs begins with “LRW,” a designation tied to Tesla vehicles built at Giga Shanghai, confirming these are sourced from China and are part of the federal government’s new EV quota system.
VIN is getting assigned for New premium RWD Model 3 in Canada.
— TechLapVolt (@TechLapVolt) May 7, 2026
Delivery date updated to early June.@DriveTeslaca @Tesla @tesla_na pic.twitter.com/90Yu9IcCer
West Coast Buyers Could Receive Deliveries First
While the first reported VIN assignments have so far come from buyers in the eastern half of the country, customers in British Columbia and other western provinces may actually receive their vehicles sooner.
Because the Model 3 units are arriving from China, shipments destined for Canada’s west coast have a shorter transportation route compared to vehicles that still need to be moved across the country.
That could mean Tesla buyers in Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are likely to begin taking delivery ahead of some customers further east, depending on rail and trucking logistics once the vehicles arrive at port.
UPDATE 11:55am PT: Looks like buyers in B.C. are indeed seeing earlier delivery windows with the app indicating late-May.
A friend of mine in Victoria, BC area also purchased the Model 3 RWD from China and has a late May delivery date! pic.twitter.com/8BlZrE0hVt
— David Lewis 🇨🇦 (@davidelewis) May 7, 2026
China-Built Model 3 Returns to Canada
Tesla’s decision to source the Model 3 from China marks a notable shift for the Canadian market. Earlier this year, the automaker removed existing Model 3 inventory from its website, pulled demo vehicles from showrooms, and temporarily halted new orders as it prepared for the transition.
Last week, Tesla officially launched the revamped Canadian Model 3 lineup sourced from Giga Shanghai, bringing with it the lowest pricing we’ve ever seen in Canada for the electric sedan.
The low pricing was made possible after Canada replaced its previous 106.1% tariff on Chinese-built EVs with a new quota-based system that allows a limited number of vehicles into the country at a significantly reduced 6.1% tariff rate.
Tesla appears to have moved quickly to take advantage of the new framework, leveraging its prior experience importing Shanghai-built vehicles into Canada before the tariffs were introduced in 2024.
However, that advantage has put a target on Tesla’s back and the federal government is reportedly considering capping their access to the quota in fears of them taking the majority of the 49,000 vehicles allowed into Canada in the first year of the agreement.
Have you received a VIN? Let us know if you have, and where you live in Canada, in the comments below.
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