There is more and more evidence to suggest Tesla is considering opening its first car-assembly factory—what it calls a gigafactory—in Canada, after the U.S.’s newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act limits electric vehicle tax credits to vehicles produced in North America.
François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s federal minister of innovation, science and industry, recently visited a Tesla facility in Markham, a city in the province of Ontario, Electrek reported on Aug. 17, confirming earlier reports that the electric carmaker was working with the Canadian government to expand its footprint in Canada.
In Markham, Tesla has a facility that makes assembly line machinery for Tesla gigafactories around the world.
“I had a chance to visit their facility in Markham for a tour and test drive,” Champagne tweeted on Aug. 17. “I look forward to seeing Canada continue to be the green supplier of choice for the automotive industry.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk first hinted at plans to open a factory in Canada at a company meeting in June, where he told employees Tesla was looking for additional factory sites in North America. In July, Canada’s auto news site Electric Autonomy Canada surfaced lobbying documents showing that Tesla is was talks with the Ontario government about improving its licensing process for attracting an “advanced manufacturing facility.”
