Tesla Sues Ontario Government

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I think it pretty much does. It guarantees Tesla will be treated the same as any other manufacturers, and I don't see them going back and trying to exclude everybody at this point. I think that'd also be illegal given the government's previous statements on the topic.

Oh yes, I added that it pretty much guarantees it. But they'll have to make the decision.

PS $125k in legal costs. That's about 9 rebates.

 

[KEvans]

The reports on this that I've seen in the last hour are incomplete, confusing, contradictory, and badly written. Here's hoping the government is cornered, but don't count on it. The lawsuits could go on for some time; it's every con government's ideal to force its opponents to lose by drawing out legal issues for as long as possible.

In this case, it is not in the government's interest to fight the decision. Here's why:

* fighting the decision puts the entire transition in legal limbo. While this hurts Tesla, it also would hurt the big business auto industry car dealerships that they were trying to help out by cutting Tesla out of the rebate to begin with.

* speaking of those big business auto dealers - it has been speculated on the forums, and confirmed to me by a news reporter, that the Ministry of Transportation reached out to dealerships ahead of July 11 to give them advanced notice of their plans. Those same dealerships then went out and ordered literally as many EVs as they could, to take advantage of the two month transition period for the rebate program. If the government does anything that jeopardizes their sales of those cars, then the PCs will have a lot more to worry about than another Tesla lawsuit.

* rather than risk potentially dozens of lawsuits, the province can reluctantly invite Tesla to the table, pay out the approximate 5.5 million in rebates that it'll owe the 315ish customers who are likely eligible to receive it, and move on.

Drawing out the legal issue for as long as possible would burn the very allies they sought to help with this transition. They aren't going to do that.