Nearly 90 Teslas Targeted in Attacks Across Canada: Police

Three Tesla electric vehicles drive past a gas station in Vancouver on May 14, 2022. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Several attacks on Tesla dealerships in Canada and vehicle owners have left nearly 90 vehicles damaged, with police investigations open from Vancouver to Montreal.

Police in Hamilton are investigating after a Tesla dealership on Hamilton Mountain reported numerous vehicles were damaged on March 19.

“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,” a police news release said.

Police are reviewing CCTV camera footage to identify suspects, the release said. Anyone with information is asked to contact them at 905-546-3886 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships have increased both in Canada and the United States in response to owner Elon Musk’s connection with President Donald Trump. Musk has been seen as one of Trump’s advisers.

Earlier in the week, the Vancouver International Auto Show said it removed Tesla from this year’s event over security concerns.

The decision came after “Tesla Takedown” protests at several locations across Canada, including in Ottawa and Vancouver. At one such protest in Surrey, protesters were holding signs outside a Tesla dealership that said, “Elon be-gone” and “democracy dies in apathy.”

Dealership Graffiti

On March 21, Vancouver police announced charges against a 27-year-old Vancouver man after a Tesla dealership was vandalized.

Police said the incident happened at a dealership near Burrard and West 4th Avenue around 1:30 a.m. on March 21.

A witness to the incident called 911, saying a man was spray-painting obscenities on the front window of the business, according to a Vancouver Police Department (VPD) news release.

The suspect, who officers located nearby, is to appear in court on May 15.

The incident is one of eight acts of mischief this year believed to be “politically-motivated and in opposition to Tesla owner Elon Musk’s political affiliation with the U.S. government,” police said.

All files are still open and under investigation.

2 Teslas Damaged in Calgary

In Calgary, police are investigating after two Tesla vehicles were damaged in separate incidents believed to be connected.

Police said the first incident happened on March 18, between 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.

A Tesla owner had parked a white 2023 Model Y at a charging station near her home in southeast Calgary at 9:30 p.m., according to police.

The owner received a notification around 11 p.m. that her vehicle was no longer charging. When she looked out her window, she saw the car on fire, a police news release said.

The Calgary Fire Department answered her 911 call and put the fire out.

Police also responded and said initial evidence indicates the fire was intentionally set with an accelerant.

Police are asking anyone who had a vehicle parked at the charging station between 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. to check the vehicle’s camera system and contact police if they find video footage of the incident.

On March 19, Calgary police responded to a second Tesla fire around 9:50 p.m., at a storage lot also in southeast Calgary.

A grey 2025 Tesla Cybertruck is believed to have been intentionally set on fire, according to the release.

“We continue to investigate these arsons that have targeted Tesla vehicles,” said Staff Sgt. Kurt Jacobs of the Calgary Police Service Arson & Robbery Unit.

Police are urging Telsa owners who park in a non-secure area to put their vehicle in sentry mode, which engages the car’s camera system, recording any suspicious activity and notifying the owner.

Both arson investigations are ongoing.

London Investigation

Police in London, Ontario, are also investigating after a Tesla was damaged in a fire on March 17.

Emergency crews responded to the vehicle fire in a parking lot around 11:30 p.m., a news release said.

Firefighters were able to put the fire out, but police said the 2025 4-door black Tesla S sustained “significant damage,” estimated at around $140,000.

There were no reported injuries.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have dashcam video or home or business surveillance footage of the incident to contact police.

The Canadian Press contributed to this article.