Hundreds of Tesla electric vehicles accumulate in Canadian parking lots following a questionable surge in sales | Carscoops

      8,600 Teslas were registered over a single weekend just before the halt of Canada's iZEV subsidy program.

      Recent reports highlighted that unused parking lots across Canada are now lined with numerous brand new Tesla electric vehicles. This surge in registrations occurred at four locations during one weekend.

      The spike coincided with Canada’s announcement of a pause on iZEV subsidies, leading to accusations from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) that Tesla was undermining legitimate dealerships and buyers. These suspicions intensified after images surfaced showing hundreds of new Tesla vehicles abandoned in empty parking lots.

      Canadian media found large groups of brand new Model 3s and Model Ys parked at an old strip mall in Toronto, situated across from a Tesla dealership. Additionally, in Laval, Quebec, reporters spotted many more Teslas packed into another parking area.

      Earlier, Tesla was reported to have taken advantage of Canada’s EV rebate program, as four of its retail locations registered a remarkable 8,600 cars in just three days. This translates to selling one car every minute nonstop, even beyond operating hours, a pattern that seemed quite unusual. The timing of this sales surge raised questions, especially since it occurred when Tesla demand had decreased, partially due to CEO Elon Musk’s connection with President Trump, who hinted at imposing substantial import tariffs.

      The sales spike also took place right before the suspension of the iZEV electric vehicle subsidy program, leading some to speculate that Tesla had manipulated the system.

      Tesla applied for C$43.1 million (US$30M) in rebates, which constituted more than half of the remaining C$71.8 million (US$50M) designated for electric vehicle subsidies, leaving many Canadian dealers financially impacted. These dealers had initially offered discounts for each car sold with the expectation of recovering those funds from the government, a hope that now seems uncertain.

      One dealer mentioned to CTV News that he lost C$400k (approximately $279k) because Tesla's sales frenzy prevented him from submitting his claim before the program’s closure.

      Moreover, Tesla may need to worry about vandals who targeted its cars and showrooms, as hundreds of parked Model 3s and Model Ys could attract protestors. Inquiries have been sent to Tesla regarding the cars in these lots, but a response has yet to be received.