In response to U.S. tariffs, New Brunswick looking at selling government-owned Teslas

The New Brunswick government says it plans to sell the 11 Teslas it owns, in response to United States tariffs and the prominent role that the carmaker’s CEO plays in the Donald Trump administration.

Premier Susan Holt told reporters last week the government had started looking into what price it could get for the vehicles, adding that the Teslas were sitting in a parking lot and not being used.

A statement from New Brunswick’s Transportation Department says the vehicles were bought pre-owned for about $82,000 each, as part of the province’s climate change action plan initiative.

It says the sale of the government’s Teslas would be completed by public auction.

A report published in January showed Tesla sales dropped 1.1 per cent last year, its first annual decline in more than a dozen years.

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Werner Antweiler, associate professor at University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, says the “Tesla halo effect” is diminishing as the company contends with increased competition and CEO Elon Musk’s tarnished image.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2025.

— With files from The Associated Press