According to foreign media reports, on March 18, Eric Nicholl, executive director of the Vancouver International Auto Show, said that Tesla’s qualifications for exhibitions have been cancelled due to safety concerns.
Eric Nicholl said in a statement that the auto show organizers asked Tesla to withdraw mainly for the safety of staff, visitors and exhibitors. “This decision allows all exhibitors to devote themselves to the auto show,” the statement said.
Nicholl also said that the organizer of the auto show previously gave Tesla “a chance to voluntarily withdraw multiple times.”
It is reported that the auto show was held at the Vancouver Convention Center and will start on March 19 and end on March 23.
Tesla’s disqualification from participating in the exhibition is related to the recent protests to “strike Tesla” in Ottawa, Greater Vancouver, Canada, and other places. Protesters condemn Tesla CEO Musk and his actions as an adviser to US President Trump. Recently, Trump announced tariffs on Canadian imported goods.
On March 16, about twenty protesters gathered outside a Tesla dealership in British Columbia. The day before, similar protests occurred at Tesla stores in Vancouver.
A person who participated in the protest said that the auto show organizer’s eligibility for Tesla is the right thing to do. He said, “Given the current situation, some people are very dissatisfied with Tesla and Musk.”
In addition to the cancellation of the exhibition qualification, Canadian electricity service provider BC Hydro recently excluded Tesla products from its electric vehicle subsidy projects. It is reported that this is part of the British Columbia government’s initiative to prioritize Canadian local products and, given the current tension in Canada-US trade relations, exclude U.S. products from subsidies if feasible.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment for the above report.
In fact, not only in Canada, but also in the United States, there have been many protests against Tesla recently. Earlier on March 19, the FBI said it was investigating “multiple” incidents of damage to Tesla’s charging stations and dealerships in several states in the United States.