Dozens of Tesla vehicles appear to have been targeted by activists at an auto dealership in Ontario, Canada.
“Officers responded and discovered upwards of 80 Tesla vehicles which were parked outdoors had been damaged, including but not limited to deep scratches and punctured tires,” Hamilton police said in a statement released Thursday.
Law enforcement was notified Wednesday that automobiles made by the automaker owned by polarizing billionaire Elon Musk had been damaged on the Hamilton mountain lot.
Tesla automobiles, dealerships and charging stations around the world have been vandalized — or worse — as the company’s CEO has positioned himself as a right-wing kingmaker in recent months.
Musk spent nearly $300 million to help elect Donald Trump and his allies in the 2024 U.S. elections. One of the Trump Administration’s first orders of business was threatening Canada’s independence, insulting its leader and imposing tariffs expected to impact the auto industry.
Canadians have responded by imposing tariffs of their own, removing U.S. products from store shelves and directing much of their frustration at Tesla.
Protesters spray painted a Montreal dealership Wednesday, according to CBC. A man was recently caught on video damaging a Model Y Tesla at Ontario International Airport.
This week’s Vancouver Auto Show distanced itself from Tesla, citing safety concerns.
Tesla dealerships and products in the U.S. have been also been vandalized and set on fire as company stock prices continue to dip. The automaker got more bad news Thursday when federal regulators in the U.S. recalled 46,096 Tesla Cybertrucks due to defective exterior panels that run alongside the vehicles’ windshield.
Tesla stocks enjoyed a brief spike last week after President Trump hosted a promotional event for the automaker, where he warned activists they’d be punished for damaging products made by Musk’s company. They got another small bump Wednesday when Fox News host Sean Hannity had Musk on his show and promoted Tesla as “the greatest car ever made.”