Tesla has been banned from upcoming federal EV rebate programs in Canada as the government freezes the suspicious $43 million in rebates that Tesla claimed days before the program was paused earlier this year.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Tesla claimed $43 million in government rebates from the iZEV federal EV rebate program in Canada just a few days before the program was paused due to a lack of funds.
The move was suspicious as it would have required Tesla to deliver over 8,000 vehicles at just 4 locations on a weekend, which is physically impossible.
It is believed that Tesla preemptively filed for thousands of rebates after being made aware of the pause to ensure it wouldn’t run out in an anticipated surge in demand due to the program’s pause.
However, this tactic proved problematic. The government told other car dealers who actually delivered EVs before the end of the program that they couldn’t get the rebates, which were already applied to the customer purchases, as Tesla took most of the money for vehicles it likely didn’t deliver.
Today, Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s new transport minister, confirmed that the funds have been frozen until it can investigate precisely what happened with Tesla’s rebates.
Furthermore, Freeland confirmed that Tesla will be banned from future federal rebates for electric vehicles. In this case, it has more to do with the trade war launched by President Trump, whose biggest political donor is Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
She said (via the Toronto Star):
No payments will be made until we are confident that the claims are valid. I also directed my department to change the eligibility criteria for future iZEV programs to ensure that Tesla vehicles will not be eligible for incentives so long as the illegitimate and illegal U.S. tariffs are imposed against Canada.
The federal government is following the same strategy as some provinces. British Columbia has recently banned Tesla products from its EV charger rebate. Nova Scotia just announced that it has excluded Tesla from its $2,000 rebate at the purchase of a new EV.
Quebec just relaunched its own EV incentive program today. It will come into effect next week, and so far, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are still included in the list of eligible vehicles.
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Environment
Trump imposes tariffs on all car imports: here’s where all EVs available in the US come from
Hyundai’s massive new EV plant in Georgia is officially open for business. The company held the grand opening on Wednesday at its new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, where it will build upcoming EVs, including its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9.
Hyundai’s new EV plant is now open in Georgia
Less than two years after starting construction, Hyundai is celebrating what could be the company’s most important investment so far.
Hyundai’s new EV plant is part of a $7.6 billion investment in Georgia, the state’s largest economic development project to date. It’s expected to create about 8,500 direct jobs by 2030.
However, if you include its battery plant with SK On and the 18 suppliers that joined in, Hyundai’s new facility has attracted over $12.6 billion in investments. According to the Center for Automotive Research, Hyundai’s new EV plant will create over 58,200 jobs in Georgia.
During the grand opening on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Euisun Chung said, “Together with the talented workforce at HMGMA, we are building the future of mobility with America, in America.”
Chung was joined by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz, and Kia CEO Ho Sung Song, among several others.
The new plant will produce EVs and hybrids under the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands. Despite the opening ceremony, the first model, the new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5, rolled off the assembly line in October.
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with more range (up to 318 miles), a new interior and exterior style, and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers.
Next up will be Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9. The larger SUV is due out this spring, so it should be any day now.
Like the 2025 IONIQ 5, the IONIQ 9 will include an NACS port. It will also pack a massive 110.3 kWh battery providing up to 335 miles EPA-estimated range.
The opening ceremony follows Hyundai’s landmark $21 billion investment in the US, announced earlier this week. Hyundai will use $9 billion to boost Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brand output to 1.2 million. Another $6 billion will be used to build a new steel plant in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, GA Senator Jon Ossoff issued a warning during a press conference Wednesday: “The Trump Administration’s war on electric vehicles poses a threat to EV sales, to the EV market, and to the automobile industry in Georgia and across the country.” Killing off federal tax credits will only put the US further behind China and others in the global auto and tech industry.
Source: WTOC, Hyundai
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Lightsource bp’s 180 megawatt (MW) Prairie Ronde Solar in Louisiana is now online and generating enough power for the equivalent of around 31,000 homes.
Prairie Ronde Solar in St. Landry Parish is about 30 miles north of Lafayette. It’s one of the largest solar farms in Louisiana and features US-made equipment. First Solar in Arizona manufactured the solar panels, and the tracking systems came from Array Technologies in New Mexico.
In February 2023, Lightsource bp and McDonald’s Corporation announced a Power Purchase Agreement for Prairie Ronde Solar. McDonald’s will purchase all of the solar energy the project generates, equivalent to around 630 restaurants’ worth of renewable electricity annually.
The $170 million project, which is privately funded, will bring long-term benefits to St. Landry Parish. Over its lifetime, it will generate more than $20 million for public services like schools and emergency responders. In just the first five years, $8.3 million will flow into the community. Lightsource bp will also spend $3.9 million a year to operate the site, with most of that money staying in the region.
In 2023, Lightsource bp set up a Community Fund in St. Landry Parish to support local education and development projects. That includes funding for school programs and a new Welcome Center at the local Veterans Memorial.
Read more: This $500M EV battery material plant is the first of its kind in the US
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