Tesla is considering opening a Gigafactory in Canada
Tesla
Tesla's love for Canada is more evident than ever. A recent email to owners showcases the company's commitment to sustainability and its positive impact on Canada's economy and the environment. The email comes at the same time as Canada committed millions to more charging stations and rolled out its first electric vehicle, a Tesla Model Y, to the country's police force.
Remember, Canada is on the shortlist for a new Giga factory, and these are positive signs that North America may be getting another Tesla-producing super plant. Despite Elon Musk being half Canadian and previously suggesting a Canadian location, he will go to the country, province/state, and city that offers the best strategic location, the most tax incentives, and a skilled workforce.
While recent developments have pointed at a new factory in Mexico, Tesla has previously stated they plan to have 10-12 really big factories that will allow them to produce up to 20 million vehicles annually.
Overview of Tesla's recent email to Canadian owners
Interestingly, the wording in the Tesla email says, "a recent economic impact assessment conducted by Enviro Economics quantified Tesla's impact on the Canadian economy. However, EnviroEconomics states that Tesla asked the company to "assess the economic impact of their Canadian operations and spending, as well as the emission reductions and operational fuel savings associated with Tesla vehicles in Canada."
Why would Tesla want that information unless the company is deep in conversations with Canadian officials? This new information may be the next phase to win over public support for a Tesla Gigafactory development.
Analysis of Tesla's Impact on the Canadian Economy
The numbers make a compelling case for Canada to do whatever it can to encourage a Gigafactory in the Great White North. Tesla spending in Canada has grown by 25% year-over-year between 2018 and 2021. The expenditure was widespread, with 51 economic sectors benefiting from Tesla's investment in automotive parts, charging stations, manufacturing, and retail operations.
Tesla's total contribution to Canadian GDP in 2021 was $762 million, and the company contributed to 6,645 full-time jobs in the country, including 3,100 direct jobs due to its operations and spending. The direct employment impact was equivalent to 3% of all jobs in the auto parts manufacturing sector.
Benefits of Tesla's vehicles in Canada
Canada recently introduced new targets for manufacturers' and importers' vehicles. The regulations state that 20 percent of new cars sold in Canada will be zero emission by 2026, at least 60 percent by 2030, and 100 percent by 2035. There are more than 145,000 Teslas in Canada, including a new Model Y, as part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police force. It's the first electric vehicle in the fleet and part of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. Canada also announced a $15 million investment in 2,350 EV chargers.
According to the study, the benefits of Tesla's vehicles in Canada extend beyond the economy. Between 2018 and 2021, Tesla's vehicles helped avoid 583,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions. Additionally, Tesla owners in Canada saved an estimated $113 million in 2021 in transportation fuel, equivalent to $1,259 in savings per vehicle.
Canada's Commitment to Sustainability and the Future of Tesla in the Country
Tesla's recent email highlighting the company's impact on the country could signify deeper discussions with Canadian officials. The numbers make a strong case for Canada to encourage the establishment of a Tesla Gigafactory in the country. Tesla's spending and contributions to the Canadian economy have grown significantly over the past few years, and its vehicles have helped reduce carbon emissions and save millions in transportation fuel.
The recent announcement of Canada's new zero-emission vehicle targets, investment in EV chargers, and the addition of a Tesla Model Y to the police force all point to the country's commitment to sustainability. Tesla sees an exciting future ahead in Canada and is poised to continue advancing its mission of transitioning the world to sustainable energy.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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