A few weeks ago, I attended the opening of Canada’s biggest Tesla showroom/service centre.
It is in a mall in Hamilton, and inside the showroom were four Tesla cars, but behind was the service area measuring 50,000 square feet (4,645 square metres).
It was built for Tesla owners in and around Toronto, as far south as Buffalo, and west to London.
Tesla first began selling its product in Canada in 2009, and there are enough of them on the road in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that they will need servicing. It shows that Tesla has penetrated the Ontario market, though the province no longer has rebates. When Doug Ford was elected Premier of the province in 2018, he scrapped the rebate program, which had up to $14,000 available.
Ford criticized the program saying, “I’m not going to give rebates to guys that are buying $100,000 cars, millionaires.”
But I digress. Inasmuch as I was taken aback by the size of the service area or the fact there are more Tesla owners than I imagined, it was the showroom that really caught my attention, in particular the Cybertruck.
And I was not alone. Mayor Andrea Horwath decided to see what this beast was like from the inside. I had seen her many times on TV as the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, which she served from 2009-2022, often critical of Ford and his policies. She gave up her seat and position to run for Mayor of Hamilton.
She is a diminutive person and looks really tiny in the Cybertruck. I approached her and said, “Excuse me, do I call you Madam Mayor?”
“Call me, Andrea.”
“Okay, is it okay to take some photos of you?”
“Sure,” she said.
She looked absolutely giddy in the car.
There were other people at the event, which was open to the public, who decided to check it out, too.
For many, this will be as close as they get to experiencing the Cybertruck because at a cost of $150,000 it is simply unaffordable.
That said, I keep seeing Cybertrucks on the road and in shopping malls, where it really stands out among sedans, SUVs and CUVs. It’s the stainless steel exterior and the design. I still don’t get it. I think it looks like an armoured truck.
Anyhow, my buddy’s 10-year-old son, who is somewhat of a car buff, seemed somewhat impressed seeing the Cybertruck. He suggested to his dad he should buy a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. Not that my friend has the bankroll to buy any car with a price tag north of $400,000. I think his limit might be about $60,000 tops.
I don’t know if the Cybertruck is comparable to a high-end Hypercar. To me, it is this generation’s version of a Hummer.
But the Cybertruck continues to be something of a curio, a conversation piece, if you will. It will be interesting to see how history looks back on the Cybertruck.
Perry Lefko is the Content Manager of The Car Magazine. He can be reached at [email protected]. Feel free to forward any story suggestions or comments.
