Tesla dealer wants Manitobans to know he’s Nott in business with Elon Musk Pioneering EV company owner’s relationship with U.S. president, role in chaos across border prompts public statement from city businessman By: Tyler Searle Posted: 5:44 PM CST Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025

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This article was published 27/02/2025 (586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg car dealership that has long been the leading source for Tesla vehicles in Manitoba is distancing itself from the company owned by Elon Musk.

Nott Autocorp has remained the province’s primary provider of Tesla vehicles since 2012. This week, it released a public statement outlining its relationship with the Texas-based automaker.

“Nott Autocorp is a proud, locally owned Métis family business that has been serving Canadians with integrity and passion for decades. We want to clarify that we are not a Tesla franchisee or affiliate,” the statement said.

“Instead, we specialize in offering Canadian-titled, pre-owned Teslas… As a proudly Canadian business, we stand behind our community, local entrepreneurs, and fellow Canadians, supporting a strong and independent marketplace.”

The move comes amid a possible consumer revolt against Tesla, with some owners and prospective buyers fearing their patronage will be seen as an endorsement of the hatchet-man role the world’s richest man has taken on in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

Trump, meanwhile, has promised to impose crippling 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports and threatened to annex the country and make it the 51st state.

“It seems like every other day there is some new controversy going on with Elon Musk and Trump and their partnership, and the way they are operating with such chaos and disregard for humanity,” said Trevor Nott, president of Nott Autocorp.

“I’m seeing warranted concerns, and then, of course, the talk of annexing Canada and making us the 51st state, then the tariffs — all of these things are impacting real people and real Manitobans.”

Nott, who spoke with the Free Press by phone Thursday, has sold hundreds of Tesla vehicles in Manitoba over the past decade, but stressed the proceeds of those sales do not go directly to Musk’s company.

He said he was compelled to release the statement after friends reached out to him with concerns about Tesla. He then saw an influx of customers seeking consignment to get rid of their Tesla vehicles.

“It’s been brewing for a while now, watching the politics in the U.S.,” Nott said. “Their genuine concerns are fear of judgment for being somehow affiliated or approving of some of the politics of Musk and Trump.”

“It seems like every other day there is some new controversy going on with Elon Musk and Trump and their partnership, and the way they are operating with such chaos and disregard for humanity.”–Trevor Nott

Musk, who has become a key figure in the Trump administration, has been a lightning rod of controversy since the president took office on Jan. 20. Together, the pair have begun gutting U.S. federal agencies, committed to mass deportations and levied threats against many of its international allies.

Musk drew further criticism after a speech in January, during which he made a gesture that many interpreted as a Nazi salute; he has denied that was the case. He also made a virtual appearance at an anti-immigrant German political party’s rally ahead of last weekend’s elections in that country.

Some auto dealers in Canada have reported becoming targets of crime, in apparent retaliation against Musk.

Earlier this month, Vancouver police said they were investigating a case of vandalism at a Tesla dealership, in which an obscene remark about Musk was spray-painted on an exterior wall. A Tesla service centre in Langford on Vancouver Island was then targeted as part of a worldwide protest.

Elsewhere, a Tesla car showroom in the Netherlands was graffitied with swastikas and anti-fascist slogans, and protesters defaced a Tesla factory in Germany in January.

Overseas, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association showed Tesla sales were down 45 per cent last month compared to a year ago.

Nott’s lot on Waverley Street has been hit by several incidents of theft and damage over the past several months. Tesla vehicles were not specifically targeted, but the crimes prompted Nott to introduce 24-7 security measures as a precaution, he said.

He noted his company continues to offer maintenance, sales and consignment services and will not “turn their back” on Tesla customers.

The Free Press reached out to Tesla for comment from its Winnipeg-based store, which opened at the Waverly Automall last year; Tesla did not respond to questions by print deadline.

James Hart, president of the Manitoba Electric Vehicles Association, said Musk’s relationship with the U.S. administration has sparked concern among local electric vehicle enthusiasts.

“We are really trying to separate ourselves from the rhetoric from the United States,” said Hart, who bought a 2016 Tesla Model X from Nott Autocorp less than two years ago.

“There have been a few discussions brought up… basically asking, ‘Should we sell our vehicles? Should we get rid of them?’”

Hart cautioned owners from acting rashly in response to the situation, warning they might take a loss due to dropping resale values of the EVs.

“We can separate the vehicles from the person, although it is getting a lot harder to do it,” he said.

Nott confirmed the sale price of some used Teslas has dropped. Nott Autocorp sold two of the used vehicles for less than $30,000 each this month, he said.

Meanwhile, Tesla raised its prices for new Canadian vehicles this month by between $4,000 to $9,000, depending on the model. Tesla did not say why it was hiking prices nor did it respond to a request for comment from the Canadian Press in January.

Hart said some association members have been encouraging people who are interested in electric vehicles to explore other options on the market.

“We have a lot of dealerships within Manitoba that are getting on board. There are more electric vehicles available… than there basically has ever been in Manitoba,” he said.

The Canadian market should introduce alternative electric vehicle manufacturers from elsewhere in the world, Hart said.

“We don’t have to be so in lockstep with what the Americans are doing. We can start doing our own thing.”

— With files from the Canadian Press

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca