Tesla’s Canadian Strategy
Earlier last week Canada’s Minister of Innovation - François-Philippe Champagne - visited the Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California.
Minister Champagne said in a video post on Twitter, that he was touring the manufacturing facility, but also meeting with senior management to discuss how their vehicles would operate in Canada’s harsh winters.
Though, Tesla vehicles have been operating just fine in Canada for a bit now, so the meeting was likely more about the future of Tesla’s business relationship with Canada than anything else.
This visit marks the fourth meeting between Tesla and the Canadian government inside of the last six months, strengthening the idea that something more concrete is brewing.
During this time, Tesla has also been more specifically lobbying the Ontario government - the most populated province in Canada - to build a facility there, as well as gain access to Canadian nickel.
In fact, while Minister Champagne was touring the Fremont facility, Tesla was advancing their Ontario strategy by hiring a senior government official from the area.
Aleem Ladak has reportedly been hired to lead “Government Policy, Critical Minerals and Supply Chain”. Ladak is a Toronto-based geological engineer who has spent his career analysing Ontario’s mines, and advising the government on their use. Before joining Tesla, his position was as a “senior mineral economist & battery minerals advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Mines.”
Given Ladak’s expertise, and his experience with the Ontario government, this is a pretty smart move by Tesla. Ladak should be able to use his contacts in the government to ease negotiations, and identify the most efficient supply chains for Tesla to take advantage of.
There’s still a little ambiguity about whether Tesla will ultimately choose Ontario - or neighbouring Quebec - as the site of their first Canadian factory; but it’s quite clear that both parties want this to happen.