Tesla is once again lobbying for a potential factory in Canada, this time engaging with the federal government — reports Electric Autonomy Canada.
According to recently posted lobbyist records, Tesla has been in communications with Ottawa four times in the last six months to talk about speeding up “permitting timelines” in the country, among other things.
The electric vehicle (EV) giant was previously reported to be in talks for a potential “advanced manufacturing facility” in Canada as well. Tesla’s most recent correspondence was with Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) minister François-Philippe Champagne in mid-August.
Champagne recently toured Tesla’s existing Canadian facility, located in Markham, Ontario. “There is a part of Canada in every Tesla,” the minister said on Twitter after the visit.
Tesla has also updated its federal lobbying objectives, which now read:
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.
However, none of Tesla’s filings so far have given away any clues as to what the company wants to do at this planned “advanced manufacturing facility” in Canada.
Tesla could always build a massive Gigafactory in the Great White North for EV assembly and/or battery production. The company could also build a different facility just as vital to its North American supply chain. So far, Tesla’s ventures in Canada have been pretty tame. That might change, though.
A Canadian Gigafactory was brought up at Tesla’s 2022 Annual Shareholders Meeting earlier this month.
When company CEO Elon Musk asked those in attendance where the company’s next factory should be, Canada was one of the prevalent responses. “We get a lot of Canada. I am half Canadian, maybe I should?” Musk asked rhetorically.
During last month’s event, Musk also teased that the company might announce its next Gigafactory location later this year.
Musk said that Tesla’s long-term plans are to have 10-12 Gigafactories all over the world. With the company eyeing that many facilities, it is bound to build one in Canada sooner or later.
“We’re engaging with Tesla,” Champagne told Electric Autonomy in a recent interview. He added that Ottawa wants to attract as many components — and players — in the EV supply chain to Canada as possible.
“We’re looking at copper foil, we’re looking at electrolytes, we’re looking at magnets and there’s more to come, trust me,” said Champagne. “I’m open…look at my smile. You know I’m not stopping there.”
