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Tesla Giga Canada makes sense: Canadian Minister emphasizes auto industry’s new “supplier of choice” [Opinion]
Tesla Giga Canada is starting to make more sense. At the 2022 Shareholders Round-Up, Elon Musk announced that Tesla might share the location of its next gigafactory by the end of the year. Musk teased that Canada could be a potential location.
Just last week, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry François-Philippe Champagne visited Tesla’s Markham facility to talk to Tesla. Champagne’s visit suggested that Tesla Giga Canada has some potential to reach fruition.
There are two main reasons Canada would be a good location for Tesla’s next gigafactory. CDN seems to be hyper-focused on developing its green supply chain and catering to the auto industry. Also, the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act encourages automakers—legacy and startup alike—to secure supply chains in North America.
Canada becoming EV “supplier of choice”
Recently, Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz signed separate agreements with Canada for battery EV materials.
Volkswagen’s deal with Canada involves sustainable battery manufacturing, cathode active material production, critical mineral supply, and others. It also includes a Canadian office for VW’s PowerCo, its battery company. Through PowerCo, Volkswagen plans to develop and research EV batteries and ramp in-house cell production and recycling.
Canada’s agreement with Mercedes Benz seems more open-ended. However, it will focus on enhancing collaborations between the legacy OEM and Canadians companies along EV and battery supply chains.
Minister Champagne explained that talks between Canada and the two legacy automakers started in May when he visited Germany.
“Canada is quickly becoming the green supplier of choice for major auto companies, including leading European manufacturers, as we transition to a cleaner, greener future. By partnering with Volkswagen and Mercedes, Canada is strengthening its leadership role as a world-class automotive innovation ecosystem for clean transportation solutions. Canada is committed to building a strong and reliable automotive and battery supply chain here in North America to help the world meet global climate goals,” said Champagne.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act
VW and Mercedes Benz signed deals with Canada a week after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, and it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.
The Inflation Reduction Act takes effect in December 2022, but EV automakers and suppliers have already started preparing for it. For instance, South Korean battery suppliers have also started preparing to move production to the United States. The law introduces a new system of EV tax credits with a specific set of requirements. It includes a battery requirement that would affect automakers and suppliers directly.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, 40% of materials used in batteries should be sourced from North America or a U.S. trading partner by 2024. By 2029, 100% of materials used in batteries should come from North America or U.S. trading partners; otherwise, the vehicles will not qualify for EV tax credits.
The law would affect automakers like Volkswagen. VW, for instance, aims to break into the U.S. pickup truck market with an all-electric Scout vehicle. EV tax credits would help VW’s EV Scout sales in the future.
What about Tesla?
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data (DOE) published a list of electric vehicles eligible for the new EV tax credit of $7,500. According to DOE’s list, Tesla’s entire S3XY line will qualify for the tax credits starting January 1, 2023.
Tesla hasn’t qualified for EV tax credits for quite some time since it already hit the 200,000 cap in the old system. The strong demand for Tesla cars suggests that the lack of subsidies isn’t really hurting the company. But, EV tax credits would help the company’s primary goal: accelerating the advent of sustainability.
Tesla has become a leader in the global EV space and market. It has shown legacy automakers that electric vehicles are the future. To keep traditional OEMs motivated, Tesla needs to keep pushing forward. Complying with the Inflation Reduction Act would be a good way of keeping legacy OEMs on their toes.
Tesla’s aims to produce 20 million vehicles annually by 2030. Elon Musk explained that Tesla would need about a dozen gigafactories to make 2 million vehicles per year and achieve its 20M goal.
Currently, Tesla has Giga Texas, Giga Berlin, Giga Shanghai, and the Fremont Factory producing cars. It would make sense for Tesla to choose Canada as the next location of its newest gigafactory given the Inflation Reduction Act’s requirements. By choosing Canada, Tesla could produce more cars and qualify for the EV tax credits in the United States–hitting two birds with one stone.
The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
Elon Musk
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets. The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s impressive 2025 progress in an extensive report.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide in 2025. Starlink is now connecting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service achieved this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including areas that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. As per SpaceX, Starlink has also provided over 21 million airline passengers and 20 million cruise passengers with reliable high-speed internet connectivity during their travels.
Starlink Direct to Cell
Starlink’s Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell is currently rolled out to 22 countries and 6 continents, with over 6 million monthly customers. Starlink Direct to Cell also has 27 MNO partners to date.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
News
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
News
Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
