Why it's more than just Musk driving down Tesla sales in Quebec

Verity Stevenson · CBC News

· Posted: May 30, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 30

Quebec EV buyers' narration with Tesla is showing signs of souring arsenic income successful the state plummeted successful the archetypal 4th of 2025. 

Only 524 Teslas were registered successful Quebec betwixt Jan. 1 and March 31, according to Quebec's car security board, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec. 

That's a 90 per cent driblet from the erstwhile 4th erstwhile 5,097 of the electrical automaker's cars were registered successful the province, arsenic archetypal reported by Le Devoir. 

The data, besides obtained by CBC News, shows that Tesla registrations successful Quebec — Canada's largest EV market, including for Tesla — roseate 30 per cent from 2023 to 2024 earlier nosediving successful aboriginal 2025. 

And though CEO Elon Musk and his engagement successful the Trump medication has "absolutely" had an interaction connected sales, says Daniel Breton, president of Electric Mobility Canada, the reasons spell beyond a wide dislike of the EV company's founder, with tariffs and rebate cutbacks apt contributing to the decline. 

The national EV rebate programme Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) ended March 31, and Quebec's programme was paused betwixt Feb. 1 and April 1. Quebec-based EV buyers utilized to beryllium capable to stack the rebates, benefitting from arsenic overmuch arsenic $12,000 disconnected the outgo of a caller vehicle. 

"Some dealers told maine that … fundamentally the connection was, well, hold until April," said Breton, whose radical is focused connected advocacy for electrical transportation. "Because the [provincial] rebate was astir to travel back."

Breton believes much fulsome information for the aforesaid clip play volition amusement that Tesla isn't the lone EV shaper to instrumentality a deed successful Quebec's market. 

According to preliminary S&P Global data, electrical conveyance registrations successful Quebec declined 65 per cent. 

Also hurting income could beryllium the 25 per cent tariff connected U.S.-made EVs, including Tesla, Rivian and Lucid cars, imposed by the national authorities successful effect to U.S. President Donald Trump's levies.

"Now that the [Quebec] rebate is back, we'll spot what happens with the income of EVs successful wide and Tesla successful particular," said Breton, who has owned a Model 3 Tesla for 4 years. 

"I'm truly disappointed successful what Elon Musk has been doing for the past twelvemonth oregon two. So I anticipation that they find a mode to resoluteness this," helium said. "To me, Elon Musk is truly hurting the brand."

The combined effect of Musk's authorities and tariffs person been felt extracurricular of Quebec, with Tesla income dropping 49 per cent year-over-year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. 

WATCH | Tesla and Canadian politics:

In summation to moving for the Trump administration, which has repeatedly threatened Canadian sovereignty and imposed damaging tariffs that person upended fiscal markets, Musk has made dismissive comments astir Canada, including saying connected X — the societal media level helium owns — that it is "not a existent country." 

He has besides faced important disapproval for amplifying and endorsing racist and antisemitic conspiracy theories connected X and made a motion astatine Trump's inauguration galore interpreted arsenic a Nazi salute.

And Tesla is besides nether probe successful Canada aft the institution claimed to person sold 8,653 vehicles successful the past 3 days of the national rebate program, which would person amounted to $43 cardinal successful rebate claims. That questionable fig raised suspicions, starring to the probe by the national government. 

Despite immoderate of the existent concerns, Anne Picard, a Tesla Model Y proprietor from Dorval, Que., has owned 2 Teslas for 8 years — and says she wouldn't bargain thing else. 

"I don't person capable spot successful [other companies] to springiness the aforesaid level of reliability," she said. 

She said anyone who tin should bargain an electrical conveyance and believes EV consumers should abstracted their governmental convictions from their user decisions. 

"The electrical conveyance wouldn't beryllium what it is contiguous if it weren't for Elon Musk," said Picard, who works successful IT task management, aft parking her Tesla astatine Montreal's Jean Talon Market. 

Philippe Bergeron Bélanger, who was charging his electrical Audi Q4 successful Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood Thursday, said he, too, tries to "leave authorities retired of my choices," but helium won't beryllium replacing his car with a Tesla erstwhile its lease is up successful a twelvemonth and a half. 

Chinese EVs erstwhile provided an affordable alternative, Bergeron Bélanger noted, but not since Canada slapped much than 100 per cent tariffs connected those cars. 

"I don't consciousness similar having an awkward statement astatine household dinners oregon with friends. Otherwise, [Tesla] astir apt would person been successful my apical three," said Bergeron Bélanger, who is simply a managing spouse astatine an concern steadfast and says helium doesn't hold with Musk's actions but is making the prime much based connected however polarizing owning the car itself has become. 

Picard, connected the different hand, believes that volition stroke implicit soon — if it hasn't already. 

"C'est un feu de paille," she said, utilizing a French look that translates to "straw fire" and is the equivalent of "a flash successful the pan." 

Breton says there's nary mode to cognize close present whether the Musk backlash volition person lasting effects, saying the adjacent 4th volition commencement to overgarment a fuller picture.