Excluding Tesla from Manitoba rebate program 'a necessary evil,' says EV association
Tesla owner considers selling Cybertruck, but says resale value continues to goes down
The head of the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association won't go as far as supporting the province's decision to remove Teslas and China-made electric vehicles from the EV rebate program, but he understands it.
"I think it's almost a necessary evil. I don't necessarily like it, but it's meant to send a message down south — and I think it will do that," said James Hart.
"It sounds like it is basically just falling in line with what B.C. is doing also, which is cancelling any rebates on Tesla or Tesla products."
Under Manitoba's rebate program, rolled out last year, any resident who buys an electric or plug-in hybrid EV in the province with a manufacturer's suggested list price below $70,000 can apply for a refund of up to $4,000.
The rebate rises to $2,500 for a used EV, while those leasing one could be eligible for $1,000–$4,000 return. All rebates are subject to the vehicle being on the list of eligible EVs.
The program officially began in July 2024 but was made retroactive to Aug. 1, 2023.
Kicking out Teslas and Chinese EVs is part of "Trump-proofing our economy," Finance Minister Adrien Sala said in Thursday's announcement, part of the provincial budget.
Trump has hit Canada with 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum with plans to implement additional levies on April 2. In another development, China has imposed a 100 per cent levy on Canadian canola oil and meal, plus a 25 per cent duty on seafood and pork.
Manitoba's decision could spur other EV manufacturers to bring in more vehicles for buyers who are now "looking at the other choices that are out there," Hart said, highlighting a potential upside.
'It's just technology': Tesla owner
Pranav Sahi, who lives in the rural municipality of West St. Paul, just outside of Winnipeg, owns three Teslas, including a Cybertruck he purchased two years ago.
"I didn't really buy it because it was a statement," he said, but rather because he has been a fan of the brand's technology, as well as the research and development that has gone into manufacturing the vehicles.
But as a backlash against Tesla began brewing after U.S. President Donald Trump took office and appointed Elon Musk to his government, Sahi said he has also been facing "a lot of hate" for owning Teslas.
He has stopped bringing his Tesla to work after a person vandalized it, and he is also refraining from bringing it to public parking lot spaces, including the grocery store.
After posting about his vehicle on social media, he said users left hateful comments about him.
LISTEN | What is it like to be a Tesla owner right now?
"I understand where the hate is coming from, but in the end, it's just technology. It's a very cool truck and it does exactly what a truck is supposed to do," he said.
Sahi has considered selling the Cybertruck, but he said he would be losing "a lot of money on it."
"The resale value of Teslas have gone down. No dealerships want to touch them right now because it's not really a hard product [any]more," he said.
Manitoba's decision remove rebates on EVs from Tesla, Sahi said, might make it worse, and while he stands against the threat of Canada becoming the U.S. 51st state, he won't sell his vehicle for half of what he bought it for.
Lots of other EV choices
Hart said the cancellation on the rebate would have been worse for Manitoba consumers a few years ago when Teslas were one of the few available EVs.
"Right now we have so many other choices that I don't know if it's going to impact us as much — and I get why they're doing it."
However, buyers looking for a sedan similar to the Tesla Model 3 won't find anything comparable, Hart said. And if someone really likes the technology incorporated into a Tesla, "there's not a whole lot of other choices out there that are really good."
"I guess my one personal disappointment is the Chinese vehicles being taken off, also," Hart said.
"I don't know how far they're going with that. Technically, Volvo is owned by a Chinese company so … it will be interesting to see if they're taken off or left on, as the ones we're getting aren't necessarily made in China but are owned by a Chinese company."
Many people buy Volvos for their safety record, which has routinely been ranked highly by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S.
"So they want that for their family car and all that and unfortunately, if they're taken off the list … it might be that difference between getting [an EV] and not getting one," Hart said.
With files from Erin Brohman, Zubina Ahmed and Faith Fundal