News
Tesla excluded from incentives in Canada over Trump tariffs
Tesla has been excluded from two Canadian EV incentive programs, as the country’s officials grapple with tariffs from the Trump administration.
Tesla has been excluded from electric vehicle (EV) incentive programs in Canada in recent weeks, as officials attempt to retaliate against CEO Elon Musk and the Trump administration’s recent tariffs.
In a press conference on Monday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said that the city would no longer provide tax incentives for Tesla vehicles for ride-hailing and taxi purposes, effectively excluding the brand from a program offering reduced fees for going electric. The news also comes after a British Columbia (B.C.) official announced last week that Tesla’s vehicles would no longer get EV rebates for home charging equipment.
“We are giving incentives for people to migrate into electric cars, except we will stop giving incentives, financial incentives to buy Tesla,” Chow said during the media conference. “We have certainly said that if you want to buy Tesla, go ahead, but don’t count on taxpayer money to subsidize it.”
The program is part of a citywide initiative to offer reduced licensing and renewal fees for ride-hailing vehicle purchasers going electric, set to run through 2029 in efforts to electrify the city’s taxi fleet and lower emissions.
The Toronto Mayor also went on to point out that “there are other electric cars around,” which fleet operators would have to consider She also addressed whether the city would re-evaluate carbon emissions goals in light of the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) doing so in recent weeks, saying that the city “would like to reduce [its] carbon footprint as quickly as possible,” but that it could always look at “whether or not the deadline makes sense.”
At the time of writing, the Mayor’s office has not yet responded to Teslarati’s request for clarification on how many vehicles have utilized the program. You can watch the full press conference below, with Chow discussing the incentive around 17:30.
READ MORE ON CANADA: Tesla is getting targeted by Canada officials over rocky Trump relations
Canada’s iZEV rebates were officially paused in January, according to Transport Canada’s website, and while the previous program’s funding was depleted, the previous contract’s had an end date of March 31. The web page also says that the “continuation of eligibility remains at the Minister of Transport’s discretion,” along with highlighting that eligibility ended on October 1, 2024 for vehicles from countries that do not have a free-trade agreement with Canada.
Last week, B.C. Premier David Eby also announced plans to remove Tesla from the B.C. Hydro EV charging rebate program, as a provincial response to Musk and his recent involvement with the Trump administration.
“It’s just for Tesla and it’s because of Elon Musk,” Eby said (via CBC).
The Premier also said he felt that if taxpayers knew thousands of dollars would go to Musk’s company through the subsidy program, “they’d want to throw up.”
The B.C. Hydro program offers up to $350 in rebates to residents who purchase and install EV chargers in their homes. As of March 12, Tesla products, such as the company’s Wall Connector, have become ineligible for the rebate.
“I thought [Tesla products] shouldn’t be made available on a public subsidy program right now,” said Adrian Dix, B.C. Energy Minister, in response to a reporter this month after evaluating the province’s rebate programs in recent months. “I don’t think anyone in British Columbia needs to be told why, and I think most people would support their removal from that list.”
The removal of Tesla’s products from the B.C. Hydro program also elicited a response from Musk on X, who reposted the story, simply writing “crazy.”
Tesla says it will be a victim of Trump admin’s tariff strategy
Elon Musk
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Musk details AI chip roadmap
In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle.
He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.
Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.
AI5 manufacturing takes shape
Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.
Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.
Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
