Tesla removed from Vancouver Auto Show

A high-profile event that attracts tens of thousands of auto enthusiasts has cut ties with Tesla, amid mounting backlash toward billionaire Elon Musk’s brand.

Tesla has been removed from the Vancouver Auto Show on the eve of the event, organizers announced Tuesday.

Elon Musk’s company will no longer be an exhibitor and all references to Tesla have been removed from the show’s website, a move that comes as the billionaire faces backlash for his alliance with President Donald Trump amid a trade war between Canada and the U.S.

“The Vancouver International Auto Show has removed Tesla as a participant in this week’s event, after the automaker was provided multiple opportunities to voluntarily withdraw,” said Eric Nicholl, the show’s executive director, in a statement.

“The Vancouver Auto Show’s primary concern is the safety of attendees, exhibitors, and staff. This decision will ensure all attendees can be solely focused on enjoying the many positive elements of the event.”

The annual convention starts Wednesday and runs through the weekend.

Musk has been a cheerleader for Trump’s threats to annex Canada, writing on his social media platform X that Canada is “not a real country.”

A petition to revoke Musk’s Canadian citizenship on the grounds that he has “engaged in activities that go against the national interest of Canada” and “attacked Canadian sovereignty” has amassed hundreds of thousands of signatures.

British Columbia recently removed Tesla products from a list of those eligible for provincial subsidies.

Last weekend, protests were staged at Tesla dealerships in B.C. and beyond.

Meanwhile, dealerships in the U.S. have been vandalized, with vehicles set on fire in some cases.

Musk took to his social media platform Tuesday to denounce the vandalism as “domestic terrorism” and to decry the “evil attacks” on his company.

In a now-deleted post he said, “My companies make great products that people love and I’ve never physically hurt anyone. So why the hate and violence against me? Because I am a deadly threat to the woke mind parasite and the humans it controls.”

CTV News has reached out to Tesla for comment. This story will be updated if a response is received.