It looks like Tesla could establish some Northern roots in the near future. This week, news broke that the EV company is lobbying the Canadian government for an “accelerated permitting process” to build a factory in the country. Not only that, but Tesla has reportedly been scouting potential factory sites in Quebec and Ontario.
Perhaps this should come as no surprise; after all, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted at the possibility of a Canadian facility during a company-wide meeting held back in June. Later, at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, Musk once again teased the idea. During the meeting, Musk played along with audience members who suggested Canada as a new production location. “We got a lot of Canada,” he shared. “I am half Canadian, maybe I should?
Elon Musk at the opening of the Berlin Gigafactory
Now, according to reports from Electric Autonomy Canada, Tesla has communicated with the federal government four times in the last six months. Lobbyist records posted on August 12 indicate that, most recently, Tesla met with Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) minister François-Philippe Champagne in mid-August. Champagne also recently toured a Tesla facility in Markham, Ont., where he said in a social media post following the event, “There is a part of Canada in every Tesla.”
According to Tesla’s updated federal lobbying objectives, the company aims to: “Seek government support to facilitate the engagement with provinces regarding permitting timelines, to increase the competitiveness of Canada and its ability to attract capital through approvals timeframes that are competitive with other manufacturing locations while working with government to identify incentives to further increase the attractiveness of Canada.”
Notably, however, Tesla hasn’t specified exactly what it is it wants to build at a potential “advanced manufacturing” facility here in Canada. With this in mind, Tesla might be planning to in build batteries or battery materials in Canada, rather than open a new Gigafactory.
But if you ask us, Gigafactory Canada has a nice ring to it… eh?
