Tesla Makes Moves in Canada
A lot has been happening between Canada and Tesla lately.
The EV company recently shared their lobbying plans regarding the possibility of building a production facility in Ontario. Then Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, Francois-Phillippe Champagne, visited Tesla’s Markham facility, and has made it clear that his office is making the expansion of Canada’s EV market a priority.
“We know how important the auto industry is to the Canadian economy and to the hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers in this sector. That’s why Minister Champagne has worked tirelessly to secure the future of Canada’s auto industry, including bringing more companies to Canada and the entire electric vehicle ecosystem. ”
And we can certainly see at least the start of that effort if we take a look at Tesla Canada’s growing Supercharger infrastructure. One just opened in Kemptville, Ontario; while new supercharger stations are breaking ground in Gananoque, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta.
Currently there are 212 Supercharger stations in Canada, which isn't a lot when you consider that Canada covers almost the same area as the U.S. does. There's a lot more work to be done if Canada wants to start replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
And that does seem to be the plan. Aside from the country's acknowledgment of the growing problem of Climate Change, Canada has been courting Tesla for some time now, and Tesla seems keen to get more access to Canadian nickel, even if the population is smaller and more spread out than in the States.
New announcements for Gigafactories happen periodically though, so it shouldn't be long before we get confirmation about any Canadian facilities.
Until then, keep your stick on the ice.