Tesla submitted some proposals for Canada’s 2023 Federal Budget that may lay the foundation for the arrival of the Semi in Canada. Tesla’s proposals were submitted as part of Canada’s pre-budget consultations before the government’s 2023 budget is finalized.
Tesla sent its proposals in a letter addressed to Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The letter provides information on areas Tesla believes the Canadian government needs to focus on to accelerate the transition to EVs and sustainable energy.
Most of the proposals focus on Canada’s need to invest in an EV infrastructure. Interestingly enough, a whole section is dedicated to the electrification of medium and heavy-duty transportation, which the Tesla Semi would fall under.
Charging Infrastructure for Medium to Heavy-Duty EVs
“Tesla applauds the launch of the federal government’s iMHZEV Program as sales incentives should generate demand for MHDZEVs across the country. However, to sustainably support increased demand for electrified medium and heavy-duty transportation fleets, adequate charging infrastructure must be available to support short and long-haul transportation routes from coast to coast,” the EV company stated in the letter.
Tesla reasons that federal support could incentivize private-sector investment in MHDZEV charging along key transportation routes. The company suggests that Canada’s federal government identify which routes should receive incentives while the transition to zero-emission trucks is just beginning. Tesla states that the federal government must support the charging infrastructure needed “to scale electrification of the good[s] movement sector.”
Tesla also proposed that the government provide grants to freight haulers to support the power upgrades businesses would need to transition to electric heavy-duty trucks.
“We propose a program that would directly support all freight haulers of all sizes — not just the largest or smallest fleet operators. It is important to note that power upgrades must be made well in advance of companies taking delivery of electric trucks,” wrote Tesla.
“Charging facilities must be in place when the trucks arrive so that they can enter service immediately. [The] Government should consider providing funding to any company that can demonstrate it has placed electric truck orders — rather than deliveries.”
Tesla Semi Ramp
Tesla officially delivered its first Semi on December 1. The company held a small event for Semi deliveries at Giga Nevada. Tesla aims to produce up to 50,000 Semi trucks per year by 2024 in North America.
Some Tesla Semi trucks will be heading to Canada. Mosaic Forest Management — based in Vancouver Island — ordered three Tesla Semi trucks for logging activities. The Tesla Semis would be part of a pilot program to test the performance of electric heavy-duty trucks in the log hauling sector. If the Semi performs well in the pilot program, Mosaic plans to electrify its fleet of 300 trucks.
Mosaic is just one of many companies in Canada interested in electric heavy-duty trucks. The main concern with switching to electric trucks would be charging, so Tesla’s proposals are right on point.
The Tesla Semi already has some competition in the electric heavy-duty truck market. For instance, Daimler started deliveries of its Freightliner eCascadia last month.
However, The Tesla Semi does have an edge in charging. Tesla developed an innovative charging cable for the Semi, and it is also familiar with ramping EV charging infrastructure thanks to the Supercharger Network. Its range of 500 miles per charge is also superior to its rivals in the all-electric Class 8 segment.
Read Tesla’s full letter to Minister Chrystia Freeland below!
Tesla lays foundation for S… by Maria Merano
I’d like to hear from you. Contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
“Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes,” Musk said in regards to FSD v14.2.1 allowing texting and driving.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced a major update with texting and driving capabilities on Full Self-Driving v14.2.1, the company’s latest version of the FSD suite.
Tesla Full Self-Driving, even in its most mature and capable versions, is still a Level 2 autonomous driving suite, meaning it requires attention from the vehicle operator.
You cannot sleep, and you should not take attention away from driving; ultimately, you are still solely responsible for what happens with the car.
The vehicles utilize a cabin-facing camera to enable attention monitoring, and if you take your eyes off the road for too long, you will be admonished and advised to pay attention. After five strikes, FSD and Autopilot will be disabled.
However, Musk announced at the Annual Shareholder Meeting in early November that the company would look at the statistics, but it aimed to allow people to text and drive “within the next month or two.”
He said:
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
Does anyone think v14.3 will enable this? pic.twitter.com/N2yn0SK70M
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 23, 2025
Today, Musk confirmed that the current version of Full Self-Driving, which is FSD v14.2.1, does allow for texting and driving “depending on context of surrounding traffic.”
Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 4, 2025
There are some legitimate questions with this capability, especially as laws in all 50 U.S. states specifically prohibit texting and driving. It will be interesting to see the legality of it, because if a police officer sees you texting, they won’t know that you’re on Full Self-Driving, and you’ll likely be pulled over.
Some states prohibit drivers from even holding a phone when the car is in motion.
It is certainly a move toward unsupervised Full Self-Driving operation, but it is worth noting that Musk’s words state it will only allow the vehicle operator to do it depending on the context of surrounding traffic.
He did not outline any specific conditions that FSD would allow a driver to text and drive.
News
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
The Tesla Semi is moving closer to broader fleet adoption, with Keller Logistics Group wrapping up a key pre-production planning session with the electric vehicle maker’s team this week.
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
Keller’s pre-production Tesla Semi sessions
Keller Logistics Group, a family-owned carrier with over 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers operating in the Midwest and Southeast, completed the session to assess the Tesla Semi’s fit for its operations. The company’s routes typically span 500-600 miles per day, positioning it as an ideal tester for the Semi’s day cab configuration in standard logistics scenarios.
Details remain under mutual NDA, but the meeting reportedly focused on matching the truck to yard, shuttle and regional applications while scrutinizing economics like infrastructure, maintenance and incentives.
What Keller’s executives are saying
CEO Bryan Keller described the approach as methodical. “For us, staying ahead isn’t a headline, it’s a habit. From electrification and yard automation to digital visibility and warehouse technology, our teams are continually pressure-testing what’s next. The Tesla Semi discussion is one more way we evaluate new tools against our standards for safety, uptime, and customer ROI. We don’t chase trends, we pressure-test what works,” Keller said.
Benjamin Pierce, Chief Strategy Officer, echoed these sentiments. “Electrification and next-generation powertrains are part of a much broader transformation. Whether it’s proprietary yard systems like YardLink™, solar and renewable logistics solutions, or real-time vehicle intelligence, Keller’s approach stays the same, test it, prove it, and deploy it only when it strengthens service and total cost for our customers,” Pierce said.
News
Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand.
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Extended FSD demonstrations
Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.
He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Building momentum for European approval
Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.
Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
