Tesla products have been removed from BC Hydro's electric vehicle charger rebate program.
As of March 12, BC Hydro says Tesla products 鈥� such as chargers, energy storage batteries and inverters 鈥� are not eligible for the program, citing that the Crown corporation and the B.C. government are "taking action to preference Canadian goods." If people purchased the products or received pre-approval before March 12, they can still qualify for the rebates and will be processed as normal.
Speaking to media in the B.C. legislature Thursday, Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix said it doesn't change Tesla's availability in the B.C. market.
"It just means that people that use them aren't going to have the BC Hydro subsidy, which supports homeowners, in particular, to make their homes more energy efficient," he said. "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."
Through the program, people looking to purchase an install a Level 2 EV charger at home may qualify for the rebate which could have covered up to 50 per cent of the cost to a maximum of $350.
Dix added Teslas are "outside of the threshold of (the province's) EV programs," such as the government's vehicle rebate program.
Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad said he doesn't think the province should even be giving rebates for electric vehicles, "period."
"We should not be asking people who are struggling to put food on the table to pay taxes so that somebody that can afford to buy an electric vehicle can be subsidized by those people who are struggling."
Elon Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla, became a senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2025. In recent weeks, tensions have risen between Canada and the U.S. in an ongoing trade war between the countries when Trump first announced tariffs against Canada in January. Canada, and B.C., have since announced retaliatory measures.
