- Toronto cuts Tesla taxis from its Zero Emission Grant Program to protest Trump’s tariffs.
- The move is largely symbolic as there are only 9 Teslas currently used as taxis in the area.
- Existing Tesla owners are eligible for a $3,300 (CA$4,677) reduction in taxi licensing fees.
The mayor of Toronto is doing what she can to hit back at proposed tariffs on Canadian products from the Trump administration, announcing that Tesla taxi owners will be restricted from its Zero Emission Grand Program. Mayor Olivia Chow says she is sending a message to the White House with the change, and to Elon Musk, Tesla’s boss and President Trump’s right-hand man.
Toronto’s Zero Emission Grand Program incentivizes taxi and limousine owners to switch to a zero-emission vehicle before 2030. If they buy a zero-emission vehicle, they’ll pay reduced licensing fees, but Toronto is no longer interested in subsidizing Teslas. While recently speaking, Major Chow acknowledged there’s little the city can do on a municipal level to hit back at the US, but this is one small way to do so.
Read: Trump Now Threatens Canada With Up To 100% Car Tariffs
The change is very much a symbolic measure. According to city spokesperson Shane Gerard, there are just 21 zero-emission taxi and limousine owners currently benefiting from fee reductions. Of these, just nine use a Tesla. The Toronto Star reports the current licensing fee reductions to these nine Tesla owners only amounts to CA$4,677 ($5,185).
It’s not just Toronto’s mayor who is eager to send a message to the Trump administration. Deputy Mayor Mike Colle wants to get rid of a Tesla dealership in the Eglinton-Lawrence ward. However, he didn’t say how.
“The owner of Tesla is the second most powerful man in the Trump administration who is hell-bent on destroying the Canadian economy with punishing tariffs,” Colle said.
Since Donald Trump first announced a series of widespread tariffs against Canada, much of the nation has started to support a ‘Buy Local, Buy Canadian’ campaign, including in Toronto. “For now, the best we can do is send a message to the White House,” Mayor Chow said.
