Nova Scotia has become the latest Canadian province to exclude Tesla from its electric vehicle (EV) rebate program, citing concerns over CEO Elon Musk’s political associations and ongoing trade tensions between the United States and Canada.
The provincial legislature voted on Friday to remove the automaker from the Electrify Nova Scotia Rebate Program, which offers subsidies of up to C$3,000 per vehicle. Lawmakers from the Progressive Conservative government, as well as the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) and Liberal Party, supported the amendment.
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Susan Leblanc, an NDP member of the legislature who introduced the amendment, linked the decision to Musk’s political stance and his association with former U.S. President Donald Trump. “Musk and Trump are waging economic war on our country, and this is a small way to take a stand against that,” Leblanc said during the session.
The move follows similar steps taken by British Columbia and Manitoba in recent weeks. In British Columbia, Tesla was removed from the province’s EV rebate program earlier this month, while Manitoba introduced restrictions on incentives for certain Tesla models.
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Musk, who leads Tesla and several other companies, has drawn criticism in Canada and abroad over his political activities. CTV News reported that he has been linked to various controversies, including “publicly voicing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany and trying to access the personal data of millions of Americans in his group’s efforts to slash government spending.”
Tesla has not commented on the policy changes in Canada. The company remains eligible for EV incentives in other provinces, including Ontario and Quebec.