Tesla is facing accusations from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) of unfairly taking advantage of government EV rebates, leaving other car dealers and buyers at a disadvantage. Now, concerns have grown after footage revealed hundreds of Tesla vehicles sitting unused in parking lots.
Canadian reporters discovered large numbers of brand-new Model 3 and Model Y cars parked in an abandoned strip mall lot in Toronto—conveniently located across from a Tesla dealership. More Tesla vehicles were found in a parking lot in Laval, Quebec, hundreds of miles away.
What made the situation even more suspicious was the sheer volume of cars registered in just three days. At four Tesla locations in Canada, 8,600 cars were registered—equivalent to one car every minute, non-stop, for three days, even when the stores were closed.
Suspicious Timing Raises Questions
The sudden spike in Tesla sales came at a time when demand for the brand in Canada had dropped, partly due to Elon Musk’s ties to Donald Trump. Trump’s threats to impose import tariffs and his comments about Canada possibly becoming the U.S.’s 51st state did not sit well with many Canadians. But more importantly, the sales rush happened just before Canada paused its iZEV electric vehicle rebate program. This has led some to believe Tesla manipulated the system to claim the subsidies before they ran out.
Tesla applied for C$43.1 million (US$30M) in rebates, which accounted for more than half of the remaining C$71.8 million (US$50M) set aside for EV incentives. This left many Canadian car dealers struggling, as they had already provided discounts on EVs to customers, expecting to be reimbursed by the government. Now, they may not get that money back.
One dealer told CTV News that Tesla’s actions cost him C$400,000 (US$279,000) because he was unable to claim the rebate before the program ended.
Possible Fallout for Tesla
Tesla now faces not only financial scrutiny but also potential backlash from protestors. Given the recent acts of vandalism against Tesla cars and showrooms, these large, unattended parking lots full of vehicles could become easy targets.
Despite requests for a comment, Tesla—which no longer has a dedicated press team in the U.S.—has not responded to questions about the parked cars.
