Deliver and Register Canadian "Spec" Car in California

[aarossig]

I own a 2013 Model S, and it is great vehicle. I would like to upgrade to an S100D. I am also Canadian and Tesla blocks the import of US Model S and X to Canada for the purpose of registration. It is a real pain that will force me to sell my 2013 Model S if/when I move back home. I knew this going into it, but figured the policy would change during the 2+ years that I have owned it so far. They are inflexible and unresponsive when asking details surrounding this policy.

Importing a Canadian "Spec" Tesla to the US is completely permissible. I had the bright idea of purchasing a Canadian "Spec" (red seat-belt button, french stickers, otherwise nearly identical car) to be delivered and registered to my home in California. I want an S100D, loaded. Years down the road, I would drive my car home, the VIN would check out and I would register it with ease. That's the theory, anyway.

The Palo Alto sales group just turned me down with no explanation. The first sales rep forgot about me for >1 week and the second just "spoke to my manager" when I spoke to them over the phone. It was a highly lackluster experience.

So, what do you think? Am I nuts? This seems perfectly reasonable to me. If anyone has recommendations for an SF Bay Area sales group that actually wants to have a discussion about this, I would be very open to hear it!

 

[glide]

I own a 2013 Model S, and it is great vehicle. I would like to upgrade to an S100D. I am also Canadian and Tesla blocks the import of US Model S and X to Canada for the purpose of registration. It is a real pain that will force me to sell my 2013 Model S if/when I move back home. I knew this going into it, but figured the policy would change during the 2+ years that I have owned it so far. They are inflexible and unresponsive when asking details surrounding this policy.

Importing a Canadian "Spec" Tesla to the US is completely permissible. I had the bright idea of purchasing a Canadian "Spec" (red seat-belt button, french stickers, otherwise nearly identical car) to be delivered and registered to my home in California. I want an S100D, loaded. Years down the road, I would drive my car home, the VIN would check out and I would register it with ease. That's the theory, anyway.

The Palo Alto sales group just turned me down with no explanation. The first sales rep forgot about me for >1 week and the second just "spoke to my manager" when I spoke to them over the phone. It was a highly lackluster experience.

So, what do you think? Am I nuts? This seems perfectly reasonable to me. If anyone has recommendations for an SF Bay Area sales group that actually wants to have a discussion about this, I would be very open to hear it!

Why don’t they want to sell you a car?

You could always order it online and pick it up in Canada.

 

[dzmconstr]

I own a 2013 Model S, and it is great vehicle. I would like to upgrade to an S100D. I am also Canadian and Tesla blocks the import of US Model S and X to Canada for the purpose of registration. It is a real pain that will force me to sell my 2013 Model S if/when I move back home. I knew this going into it, but figured the policy would change during the 2+ years that I have owned it so far. They are inflexible and unresponsive when asking details surrounding this policy.

Importing a Canadian "Spec" Tesla to the US is completely permissible. I had the bright idea of purchasing a Canadian "Spec" (red seat-belt button, french stickers, otherwise nearly identical car) to be delivered and registered to my home in California. I want an S100D, loaded. Years down the road, I would drive my car home, the VIN would check out and I would register it with ease. That's the theory, anyway.

The Palo Alto sales group just turned me down with no explanation. The first sales rep forgot about me for >1 week and the second just "spoke to my manager" when I spoke to them over the phone. It was a highly lackluster experience.

So, what do you think? Am I nuts? This seems perfectly reasonable to me. If anyone has recommendations for an SF Bay Area sales group that actually wants to have a discussion about this, I would be very open to hear it!

Is it Tesla that blocks you from importing a US spec car into Canada? I doubt it. Sounds more like a goverment issue, not a company issue. But I've never done research on that, seem weird the way you phrase it. Maybe they won't sell you a US spec car in Canada? That makes sense as they're importing it at that point, vs you importing it....confused.
Dzm

 

[mknox]

Is it Tesla that blocks you from importing a US spec car into Canada?

Sort of. Canadian cars require red seat belt buttons, more rigid immobilizer requirements and DRLs that cannot be over-ridden. Probably some other small stuff like this too. Tesla is refusing to do the necessary retrofits and software updates to bring the cars into compliance for registration.

 

[dzmconstr]

Sort of. Canadian cars require red seat belt buttons, more rigid immobilizer requirements and DRLs that cannot be over-ridden. Probably some other small stuff like this too. Tesla is refusing to do the necessary retrofits and software updates to bring the cars into compliance for registration.

So again it's not Tesla blocking the import............it's Canadian regulations and the fact that the car does not comply.

 

[aarossig]

So again it's not Tesla blocking the import............it's Canadian regulations and the fact that the car does not comply.

Not quite. Tesla has petitioned the Canadian government to disallow US-spec cars into Canada because they are unwilling to perform the necessary modifications. You can find the details on the Ministry of Transportation website here:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/motorvehiclesafety/vafus.pdf

Page 17.

I have a Cadillac ELR that I can bring home and register after I pay some small fee to GM to have them retrofit the car for the Canadian market. They would issue a letter stating that it has been modified to meet Canadian requirements.

It is highly irritating that Tesla does this. I am not the first either. You can read countless stories both here and on reddit about folks who have been forced to sell their cars and take the financial loss of doing so.

So my theoretical approach to bypass this issue is to simply have Tesla deliver a car that already meets Canadian requirements to my home here in California.

 

[Cheburashka]

Since you are a California resident already, sounds like you'd have to pay both Canadian and USA taxes if you go get the car yourself.. not sure if you'd have to pay them again when reimporting the car or if Canada has similar laws to USA where you get to bring one personal vehicle tax free when switching residency.

 

[BIG ACH]

I own a 2013 Model S, and it is great vehicle. I would like to upgrade to an S100D. I am also Canadian and Tesla blocks the import of US Model S and X to Canada for the purpose of registration. It is a real pain that will force me to sell my 2013 Model S if/when I move back home. I knew this going into it, but figured the policy would change during the 2+ years that I have owned it so far. They are inflexible and unresponsive when asking details surrounding this policy.

Importing a Canadian "Spec" Tesla to the US is completely permissible. I had the bright idea of purchasing a Canadian "Spec" (red seat-belt button, french stickers, otherwise nearly identical car) to be delivered and registered to my home in California. I want an S100D, loaded. Years down the road, I would drive my car home, the VIN would check out and I would register it with ease. That's the theory, anyway.

The Palo Alto sales group just turned me down with no explanation. The first sales rep forgot about me for >1 week and the second just "spoke to my manager" when I spoke to them over the phone. It was a highly lackluster experience.

So, what do you think? Am I nuts? This seems perfectly reasonable to me. If anyone has recommendations for an SF Bay Area sales group that actually wants to have a discussion about this, I would be very open to hear it!

You can buy it in Canada and drive it or ship it down to the US - the car is more expensive in Canada though. I have a Canadian spec car registered and titled in the US.

My father lived in Canada and had a Model S. When he passed away I inherited the car... but I live in Florida.

I was able to get in touch with someone in Tesla's trade/compliance division (through LinkedIn) who provided me with a letter stating that the car meets all of the US's safety standards, he also provided me with another letter stating that the car did not get any sort of kick backs and that I would not have to pay in custom duties on it. Process was smooth sailing crossing the border from Canada to Buffalo, just needed to fill out the paper work (most of which I had already done beforehand) and brought it over.

I drove the car from Toronto to Washington DC, then put it on the auto train from DC to Florida. At the Florida DMV I submitted all the paper work from customs and borders, as well as the Canadian title. Got the car inspected, and was quickly issued a Florida registration and title.

I can let you know what paperwork you will need to fill out.


Much easier to bring a car from Canada than vice versa.

 

[BigB]

I believe the reason to be USA cars are cheaper! The rest is BS. Canadian cars have black seat belt receivers. Dlr is the dash consul on/off. As are all the other changes needed it all Tesla