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
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Tesla has made two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles in its lineup, and the changes come just as the new model year begins production.
Last year, Tesla launched the Model Y Standard, which separated the previous models into the “Premium” category. The Standard vehicles lack several features, including more premium interior materials, acoustic-lined glass, and storage.
@teslarati There are some BIG differences between the Tesla Model Y Standard and Tesla Model Y Premium #tesla #teslamodely ♬ Sia – Xeptemper
The Model Y “Premium” trims are now getting several new upgrades, which come after the company launched a seven-seat configuration of the vehicle last night in the North American market for an upcharge of $2,500.
The new Model Y seven-seat configuration did not come with just an additional row of seating; it also came with a slew of other goodies that now come standard and were previously only available on the Model Y Performance, which was launched late last year.
All Black Headliner
The new Tesla Model Y Premium trims will now come standard with a black headliner, something that many owners have been requesting for some time.
The previous grey headliner and trim within the vehicle is now gone; it will be all black on all of the Premium trims from here on out, a welcome change:
Credit: Tesla
Larger and Higher Resolution Center Touchscreen
The center touchscreen in the new Model Y Premium configuration is now larger and has a higher resolution than the previous version.
In last year’s Model Y configurations (apart from the Performance), the center touchscreen was 15.4″. Now, Tesla has decided to go with the 16″ version across all Premium trims, which is a nice step up. It was nice to see this in the Performance, but it is really great to see Tesla include this in the Model Y’s more Premium trim levels.
Tesla Model Y Seven Seater
Tesla launched the latest iteration of the seven-seater for the Model Y on Monday night. Traditionally, the Model Y seats five passengers in total, but there were calls for a more spacious version several years ago.
Tesla released it, but it was extremely tight in the back, basically reserving those back seats for only small people or children.
Credit: Tesla
The new configuration looks to be slightly more spacious in the third row, but not as much space as most would require or want. Instead,
Elon Musk
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers.
This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.
Starlink in-flight internet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.
Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.
Free high-speed access
As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.
“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers.
“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said.
Elon Musk
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla has granted Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu more than 520,000 stock options, tying a significant portion of his compensation to the company’s long-term performance.
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla secures top talent
According to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. Since the award will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, Zhu must remain at Tesla for more than five years to realize the award’s full benefit.
Considering that Tesla shares are currently trading at around the $445 to $450 per share level, Zhu will really only see gains in his equity award if Tesla’s stock price sees a notable rise over the years, as noted in a Sina Finance report.
Still, even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already worth over $230 million. If Tesla reaches the market cap targets set forth in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu would become a billionaire from this equity award alone.
Tesla’s problem solver
Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Later that year, he assumed the leadership of Tesla’s China business, where he played a central role in Tesla’s localization efforts, including expanding retail and service networks, and later, overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai.
Zhu’s efforts helped transform China into one of Tesla’s most important markets and production hubs. In 2023, Tesla promoted Zhu to Senior Vice President of Automotive, placing him among the company’s core global executives and expanding his influence beyond China. He has since garnered a reputation as the company’s problem solver, being tapped by Elon Musk to help ramp Giga Texas’s vehicle production.
With this in mind, Tesla’s recent filing seems to suggest that the company is locking in its top talent as it enters its newest, most ambitious era to date. As could be seen in the targets of Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package, Tesla is now aiming to be the world’s largest company by market cap, and it is aiming to achieve production levels that are unheard of. Zhu’s talents would definitely be of use in this stage of the company’s growth.
Tesla makes two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
