B.C. Hydro has excluded Tesla products from its electric vehicle charger rebate program in response to U.S. tariffs.
The rebate program allows British Columbians to get up to $350 to purchase and install an EV charger in their homes.
As of March 12, Tesla chargers, energy storage batteries and inverters are not eligible for rebates, according to B.C. Hydro. Those who have purchased or received pre-approval for their Tesla products before March 12 can still qualify for rebates.
Energy minister Adrian Dix told reporters on Thursday morning that he had requested the change after reviewing the province’s rebate programs over the weekend.
“I thought they [Tesla products] shouldn’t be made available on a public subsidy program right now. I don’t think anyone in British Columbia needs to be told why, and I think most people would support their removal from that list,” he said.
The growing opposition to Elon Musk’s politics and his role in the U.S. government has Tesla owners caught in the middle, with some saying they’re embarrassed to be seen supporting a Musk brand.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is closely affiliated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly stated his desire to annex Canada and promised to use tariffs on Canadian products as leverage against the country.
Amid the U.S.-Canada trade war, the provincial Crown corporation said it’s working to include Canadian goods in its rebate programs and exclude American products whenever possible.
Dix said Tesla products are still available in British Columbia, but taxpayer money would not help subsidize their purchase.
Tesla vehicles have already been removed from the province’s electric vehicle subsidy program, but that decision was not political. Instead, it was the result of changes last year made to limit the subsidy to vehicles with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price below $50,000 for cars and below $70,000 for larger vehicles.
This is the latest attempt to bolster the made-in-Canada movement in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has previously suggested placing harsher restrictions on Tesla, vowing in February to slap a 100 per cent trade tax on all Tesla products if his party formed government in the next election.
CBC News has asked BC Hydro if more Tesla products will be excluded from its other rebate programs but have not yet heard back. The province offers up to $4,000 for eligible residents to buy or lease a new EV.
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