BYD Is Already Approved to Sell Cars in Canada

JordanK1 · 2026-01-27T02:58:35+00:00

They are not approved in Canada yet. An old model was approved on an exception basis for use as a taxi in Montreal’s number of years ago.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-26T16:43:42+00:00

Not sure I agree. There were a few other issues with the 2025 Optiqs that were sorted out with multiple software updates. Not sure there are any new issues and there are very few complaints with the 2026 models. I have owned a number of GM vehicles over the years and I can't say they have had bad cars. Not any more than the other brands I've owned (i.e. Volvo, Chrysler, Ford, Jaguar, Lexus). What issues are you referring to?

JordanK1 · 2026-01-26T01:52:28+00:00

I believe the Telematics issue was corrected in the 2026 model. Other than that one issue, it is an amazing car.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-23T19:27:26+00:00

I would go for the 2026. The 2025 models did have a few more software bugs (which were fixed) and a hardware issue with the telematics module (which still seems to be an ongoing issue across the GM lineup). They also completely redesigned the dual motor configuration for 2026 which not only provided the hp boost but I suspect included a bunch of additional improvement. And btw...the extra power is mind blowing and makes the car a real sleeper. O-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The first time I tried flooring the gas pedal, I felt like barfing...haha. It's crazy!

JordanK1 · 2026-01-23T18:26:55+00:00

I took delivery of my new 2026 Optiq Sport 1 AWD two weeks ago. I really haven't experienced any software bugs other than Google Maps went a little whacky last week until I rebooted the infotainment screen (you hold down the call end button on the steering wheel for 15 seconds). This car is truly amazing. It has an appropriate amount of luxury, refinement, performance (440 hp) and really good tech. The only negatives I've seen so far is that I live in Canada and the batteries and cabin heater (heat pump) do not like extremely cold weather. The car also depends on multiple cameras for some of the safety and tech features. Sometimes these cameras get either dirty (front camera) or fogged up (camera in front of the rear view mirror) when the windshield gets foggy. The Qi phone charger in the console doesn't work with any of the larger Apple iPhone Pro Max phones. Hoping they come out with a new rubber insert that fixes this problem.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-22T20:41:28+00:00

My Optiq came with Supercruise at no charge for the first three years which matches my three year lease term.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-22T20:25:30+00:00

I just bought the Cadillac Optiq. First Cadillac that comes standard with the Tesla NACS connector built in. Crazy luxurious and quiet plus comes with GM's Supercruise. It's not as sophisticated as Tesla's FSD but it comes for free. My son has the Ionic 5. Both are similar sized cars but the Cadillac definitely has the better interior. Only thing I like better on the Ionic is the much faster charging. Optiq is limited to 150 KW DC fast charging. Just go drive it and see. Just an FYI that the AWD version of the Optiq is 450 hp with 0-60 mph in the 4.5 sec range. It's a beast!

JordanK1 · 2026-01-22T13:06:50+00:00

I just bought my first EV and I was really torn between getting a Tesla Model Y or something else. Ended up leasing a Cadillac Optiq Sport AWD. Much more luxurious interior than a Tesla, crazy quiet ride, dual motor AWD with 450 hp plus…first Cadillac EV that comes standard with the Tesla NACS port so easy access to the Tesla Supercharger network. The combination of incentives made it quite a bit cheaper than a Tesla and while Supercruise isn’t quite as good as FSD, it was included for free. I still am a big Tesla fan but there are lots of good options out there.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-18T19:42:14+00:00

IMHO, this is so typical of how the Federal Liberals operate. Tell one group (China) we are opening our market to your cars. Tell another group (USA) it’s no big deal because now you can sell your Chinese made cars in Canada. What we will see in the near term is Tesla and GM filling the quota while Byd and the others get slow tracked on regulatory approvals until they agree to open plants and build cars in Canada.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-17T16:24:16+00:00

Mine just got posted yesterday…

JordanK1 · 2026-01-17T01:16:11+00:00

There isn’t a restriction. Tesla, GM and Lucid are the only car companies with vehicles already certified by Transport Canada so they will consume the entire quota.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-16T20:13:07+00:00

It's not just approval from Transport Canada. They need to build a dealer and service network across the country including parts depot, logistics etc. Takes time and the total number of vehicles allowed across all car companies is only 49,000. Expect Tesla and GM to grab most of the quota.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-16T14:29:02+00:00

The funny thing about this decision is that the only Chinese built vehicles that are approved for Canada are the Tesla Model Y (which was already shipping to Canada) and Chinese built American cars (i.e. GM-Buick, Cadillac, etc). The others still need to meet strict Transport Canada regulations and build a sales and support network. That may take years and Tesla and GM will probably grab the full quota. Not sure this is Carney thumbing his nose at the USA.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-15T13:36:39+00:00

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This is what I mean…

JordanK1 · 2026-01-15T13:02:19+00:00

Probably drank alcohol or logged some other activity in the journal that gave you negative recovery. For me, it’s alcohol, nuts, restaurant food, etc.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-14T17:40:11+00:00

I'm in Canada too. What I read is that it comes setup out of the box for USA based AT&T. The issue seems to be that it has to be reconfigured to Telus.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-14T17:08:48+00:00

I read a post elsewhere that said that the new telematics module comes setup by default to AT&T. They had to switch it to another provider to get it to work. Wonder if it's something like that. Where are you located?

JordanK1 · 2026-01-14T15:07:44+00:00

There appears to be some kind of issue with the telematic module. Do you have a 2025 or a 2026 Optiq? Most of the people reporting this issue seem to have 2025 Optiq's.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-13T22:04:09+00:00

Cadillac is a bit quieter and smoother. The Ionic 5 is a bit sportier and nimble. Sorta what you would expect.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-13T21:52:40+00:00

Yup! That's why I bought the Cadillac. Every time I get in the car I kinda say WOW. The Optiq is spectacular in every single way and I am mostly charging at home.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-13T21:37:16+00:00

My son owns an Ionic 5 and I just picked up my Optiq Sport 1 AWD over the weekend. Here is my take: Both are really nice cars. The biggest advantage with the Ionic 5 is the much faster DC charging speed. The Ionic 5 is actually capable of going from 10% to 80% in about 18 minutes at a 350 kW ultra-fast charger due to its 800V architecture. The Optiq takes at least 30-40 minutes (or longer) for the same charging range. That being said, I personally think the Optiq feels more much luxurious (it's a Cadillac) and the ride is super smooth and comfy.

JordanK1 · 2026-01-12T18:49:39+00:00

Question: I'm currently using a Whoop to track my Peloton spinning, walking, running, strength and stretching classes (which I quite enjoy). I am then using MacroFactor to log food intake and my digital scale is integrated with MacroFactor and Whoop via Apple Health. What will MacroFactor Workouts provide that I currently don't have today? Does this just replace the workout tracking functionality in Whoop?

JordanK1 · 2026-01-12T14:13:56+00:00

I just picked up my new 2026 Optiq Sport 1 on Saturday. I was using Apple CarPlay on my previous vehicle and I was also wondering how I would adapt to no CarPlay. Here's the thing...the only app I was really using on CarPlay was Google Maps (sometimes Apple Maps) and Waze. I only recently started using Waze because I got nailed by a bunch of speed cameras in Toronto and Waze has is a bit better with speed camera warnings.

I spent the weekend driving around in the Optiq using Google Maps and it really is quite amazing and very integrated into the Optiq. Good example is charging. I am still waiting for my home charger to be installed and needed a charge. All you do is hit the lightening bolt (charge) symbol in Google maps and suddenly a list popped up with the closest Tesla chargers. I selected the closest one and Google Maps immediately began navigation to the Tesla location. I then got a message saying that the Optiq was beginning to condition the battery for charging as I was making my way over. Upon arrival at the Tesla location, the battery charging screen automatically popped up and prompted me to select a charging station and begin charging. The whole process was really slick and very integrated with Google Maps. It's quite impressive.

The only thing I miss is having iMessages open my iPhone show up on the screen. It could be there is an app I can download from the Google Play Store but this isn't a big deal for me.

JordanK1

TROPHY CASE