Tesla dealt another major blow after the company booted out of international car show

Elon Musk’s car company Tesla has been dealt its latest blow after being booted out of the International Auto Show.

The electric carmaker was due to participate in the International Auto Show in Vancouver, Canada from 19-23 March, but it has now been removed with event executives citing safety concerns.

In a statement, executives explained that they had offered Tesla ample opportunity to voluntarily withdraw amid recent protests at their dealerships and Tesla owners rebranding their own cars to avoid vandalism.

But, Eric Nicholl, executive director of the event, said they were forced to take action and remove Tesla from the lineup due to their “primary concern” for the safety of staff and event goers.

Nicholl said Tesla was provided “multiple opportunities to voluntarily withdraw”.

“This decision will ensure all attendees can be solely focused on enjoying the many positive elements of the event,” the statement explained.

Scores of protests have taken place at Tesla dealerships across the US and even further afield, as people express their anger over Musk’s controversial role advising US president Donald Trump.

Getty Images

It also comes as Trump infuriated Canadians by suggesting he wanted the country to become America’s 51st state.

Pat McCutcheon, an attendee at a Tesla protest in Surrey, British Columbia, said he thinks the event organisers made the correct decision.

“The last thing you want (for) one of your organisations is for there to be some vandalism or some physical confrontation. So, I think they made the right decision,” he told AP.

McCutcheon added: “Elon Musk is using his extraordinary wealth to basically corrupt democracy and do what he wants to do, and citizens, both in the United States, Canada, globally, need to push back on this.”

Amid the ongoing controversy, Trump’s Tesla “infomercial”, filmed outside the White House, was slammed as “dystopian corruption”. Trump also claimed he was going to buy a brand new Tesla because people are “illegally and collusively” boycotting Tesla.

Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings