By: Otaiba Ahsan

Since my brother got his Tesla Model Y, he’s constantly been told “that’s an expensive car” or “how can you afford to have a Tesla?” This got me thinking, how much does a new Tesla Model Y really cost in Canada? I mean, my brother obviously did the math to make sure his finances would not take a nosedive by choosing the Model Y over a gas-powered SUV, but what seemed obvious to me and my brother – after doing the research – did not appear to be apparent to everybody else. With that in mind, I decided to do the work for you and when the time comes, hopefully I’ve made your decision easier.

So, the time has come for you to decide on a new car. You’re a young adult who would like to get a fun, comfortable ride without breaking the bank. We all have dream cars like Ferraris or Lamborghinis. However, for some people, a Tesla is at the same level as those two. You see how sleek the Tesla’s are and the profile of the typical Tesla owner and you may think they are out of your reach for now. But are they really? Let’s break it down:

NOTE: The reference amounts shown here are in Canadian dollars.

Tesla Model Y Cost in Canada

First off, let’s talk about the car price. In Canada, as of writing this post, there are a few incentives to help push you towards buying an electric vehicle as opposed to a regular car. For example, the Federal government will “give you” $5,000 if you buy a “Zero-Emission Vehicle” that has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price lower than $70,000. In Tesla’s case, two trims of the Model Y fit the bill: the Model Y Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) and the Model Y Long Range. If you were to go for the most basic Tesla Model Y RWD, you would be looking at a sticker price of $59,990 before any incentives and taxes. Once you include the federal incentive, the price drops to $54,990 before taxes. Doesn’t look so steep now, does it?

But let’s get real for a bit, how many people under 30 have $62k (for the after-tax price) just laying around in this day and age? I certainly don’t. So, most people will resort to financing, at this point you have two options, either finance through Tesla or find a third-party lender. For the sake of argument, we’ll talk about financing through Tesla as it is a bit more standard for everyone. Disclaimer: if you are not (at least) a Permanent Resident or a Canadian citizen, that option won’t be available, you can resort to other institutions, we chose a Credit Union that decided to help us out.

Tesla works currently with three banks: Scotiabank, RBC, and BMO. No down payment is required other than the $250 deposit when you reserve the car. This added to the Federal incentive brings your down payment up to $5,250. If you live in BC or in Quebec, you get an additional $3,000 or $7,000 respectively from your provincial government.

Now let’s look at the numbers assuming we’re in Ontario. If you’re from another province, you can use this math and plug in your own numbers. So far we have $5,250 for a down payment for most people in Canada ($250 from you and $5,000 from the government), let’s plug those numbers into the Tesla calculator. I’ll use my estimates to be able to include taxes but keep in mind:

• He chose the stock 19-inch wheels and Pearl White Multi-Coat colour, which are both included in the purchase price
• If you choose a different colour, have 20-inch wheels, or include any other add-ons like Enhanced Autopilot, then they will be added to the total cost

How much does a new Tesla Model Y really cost in Canada? When I crunched the numbers, here’s what came out if we were to have financed through Tesla:

• Total purchase price: $69,068.70 (This includes all taxes and fees for Ontario)
• Total down payment: $5,250 ($250 from you and $5,000 from the Federal Government)
• Amount left to pay: $63,818.70
• Finance terms: 96 months at 6.83% APR
• Monthly payments: $864.70

You may still be thinking, that seems like an expensive car, it is costly as a vehicle itself, but let’s take a look at what you would paying for a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline, the other option my brother was looking at when he started shopping for a new car.

Typical Gas-Powered Car Cost

2023 Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline Cost

• Total purchase price: $57,262.75 (All taxes included for Ontario, not sure on the fees as the website doesn’t specify)
• Total down payment: $250 (No government incentive here)
• Amount left to pay: $57,012.75
• Finance terms: 96 months at 6.24% APR
• Monthly payments: $755.90

So, the final numbers, Tesla monthly payments vs Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline: $864.70 vs $755.90. That seems pretty cut and dry, right? If you go with the Atlas, you are saving yourself almost $110 PER MONTH. Who would not take that? It seems like the obvious choice. Not so fast, we have to take into account associated costs the with the cars themselves. Let’s leave out the insurance costs because they vary wildly from person to person. But here are a few of the costs of having each vehicle.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline Fuel Cost

According to this calculator from CAA, driving 20,000 km per year will give you an annual cost of ~$3,445.12, which comes out to approximately $287.10 per month. The 2023 Atlas Comfortline gas tank holds 70 litres, at a current price of $1.61 per litre on average, which would come out to $112.70 every time you fill the tank, I used to fill on average once every 1-2 weeks. So far we have: $755.90 in car payments plus $287.10 in gas costs, which gives us a subtotal of $1138.42 per month.

2023 Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline Maintenance Cost

As with all vehicles, the Volkswagen Atlas has to have regular maintenance. According to Edmund’s, if you drive on average 20k Kms per year, the costs for the first five years are:

Years:

• 1: $51
• 2: $418
• 3: $412
• 4: $945
• 5: $2089

In the end, for the first 5 years of owning the Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline your total cost would approximately be $45,354 for car cost, $17,225.60 for fuel, and $3,915 in various maintenance costs. In total, it would be $66,494.60 to finance the ownership of an Atlas Comfortline for its first 5 years without adding in insurance costs.

2023 Tesla Model Y Charging Cost

Although a Tesla does not have as much maintenance as an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, it still has some associated costs to owning it. I’ll break down the most common ones below based on this post from another post from the Tesloid Blog:

• The cabin air filter should be replaced every two years. This can cost from $75 to $115 depending on where you go. So, it comes out to $37.50 to $57.50 per year on average. Let’s split the difference, so $47.5 per year.
• Tire rotation, Tesla recommends that tires be rotated every 10,000 kms. If you are driving an average of 20,000 kms per year, you would have to rotate twice a year with a cost that goes from $75 to $100. That would be $150 to $200 per year if you do it twice. Once again, let’s split the difference, so $175 per year.
• Brake fluid and pad should be tested every two years and replaced as needed. With regenerative braking, the use of the actual brakes is greatly reduced, but, let’s assume the worst-case scenario and say you have to replace it every two years. The cost goes from $130 to $145, split the difference, $140 every two years.
• Air conditioning for the Model Y should be serviced every 6 years as per Tesla. This has a cost of approximately $65.

Assuming you follow the maintenance schedule to the letter and every time you go to a Tesla Service Centre where they would charge a bit more, this is how it would look like for you to own a Model Y for 5 years:

Years

• 1: Tire rotation $175
• 2: Full inspection and service $630
• 3: Tire rotation $175
• 4: Full inspection and service with brake flush $680
• 5: Tire rotation $175

The Verdict

How much does a new Tesla Model Y really cost in Canada? Let’s wrap these numbers up, if you have a Tesla Model Y with the conditions set out here your expenses would look something like this: $51,882 for car cost, $1036.80 for “fuel,” $1,835 for various maintenance. In total, you are looking at $54,753.80 for 5 years with a Tesla Model Y without adding in insurance cost.

As you can see, when you break down all the numbers and really look into the differences between a Tesla Model Y RWD and a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Comfortline, the difference in cost over 5 years is approximately $11,740.80 in favour of the Tesla Model Y. So, it may seem more expensive as a car, but in the long run, it is better to go for it instead of another car that may not offer you the same amount of comfort and luxury.

But now, I ask you: What do you think? Does it still make sense to not buy a Tesla, or is it the perfect time to make the jump to an electric vehicle? If you decide to pull the trigger on the Tesla let me know what made you make that decision.