Canadians are driving German Teslas thanks to Donald Trump!
This page is translated from the original post "Les canadiens roulent en Tesla allemandes grâce à Donald Trump !" in French.
- 28/08/2025 15:31
Beyond any political consideration, Donald Trump leaves behind a field of contradictions that sometimes borders on the absurd.
The recent example of Quebec Tesla vehicles perfectly illustrates the bewildering mechanism triggered by Donald Trump. To obtain a Tesla Model Y eligible for the local $4,000 Eco Bonus, consumers must now turn to a model… imported from Germany. And yet, this same car is manufactured in the United States, just a few hundred kilometers from the Canadian border.
How did we get here? By unleashing a torrent of tariffs as a defense of American interests, the Trump administration actually triggered a series of chain reactions. Protectionism does not always protect; it can also destabilize. In this case, Tesla chose to redirect its logistics and ship Model Ys built in Berlin to Canada, rather than deliver those from its American factories hit by prohibitive tariffs.
Trump and ecology are anyway incompatible
Thus, the Quebec consumer buys a car manufactured 6,000 kilometers from Montreal, while an identical model rolls off the production lines in Fremont or Austin, within reach of a Tesla Semi. All this could be amusing if an ecological reality did not darken the picture. The additional carbon footprint generated by this detour is staggering and nullifies any positive impact of electric mobility.
As in Europe, the zero-emission vehicle market in Quebec is going through a tough time. In this context, Tesla’s choice to opt for Berlin certainly breathes new life into sales and adds value to Canadian-European relations. But it highlights the absurdity of the tariff barriers that are being erected between the United States, Europe, and Asia.
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This affair reminds us of a simple truth: when economic policy boils down to posturing and blanket tariffs, it is unfortunately the consumers, industries, and the environment that pay the highest price.
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