These Canadians got tired of waiting for the Tesla Semi - so they founded Edison Motors

These Canadian guys got tired of waiting for the Tesla Semi, so they set up Edison Motors instead.

This manufacturing company makes electric hybrid trucks – the first of their kind in Canada.

The company is operating from a 300-acre property in British Columbia.

And yes, the company’s name is a reference to Thomas Edison, who was famously a rival of Nikola Tesla.

EXPLORE SBX CARS – Supercar auctions starting soon powered by Supercar Blondie 

How waiting for the Tesla Semi gave way to Edison Motors

In the world of EVs, it was long felt that Tesla was the top dog.

Competitors have made themselves known in recent years, including BYD and Slate, backed by Jeff Bezos.

But now another company is in the mix, and that’s Edison Motors.

This Canadian company makes electric hybrid trucks, aiming to make semis that ‘deliver fuel savings without compromise’.

The name is a nod to Tesla, but that’s not the only way in which the company gives a nod to the EV giant.

In fact, the company’s genesis is tied to Tesla.

How Edison Motors is inspired by history as well as futuristic tech

Chace Barber, the company’s President, spoke to Supercar Blondie about how waiting for a Tesla Semi was at the root of Edison Motors’ story.

“I always kind of believed in electric vehicles, especially like electric trucks,” Barber told us.

“So I reserved a Tesla Semi, right when they came out, actually, I was the fourth reservation in Canada for a Tesla Semi.

“And after waiting for years and years and years, I said, Oh, give me my money back. I’m going to try and build my own electric truck.”

For those keeping track at home, Elon Musk first announced the Tesla Semi back in November 2017, promising that production would begin in 2019.

It wouldn’t get started until 2022, however, before stalling.

Currently, volume production of the truck is planned to begin by March 2026.

But when it came to creating his own company, Barber took inspiration from a rival of Nikola Tesla – Thomas Edison.

The rivalry that shocked the nation

To make a long story short, these two inventors wanted to dominate in the war over electricity transmission systems.

Back in the 19th century, this was the caliber of celebrity feuds.

“So obviously, if I got to build my own electric truck, then I’m going to call it Edison,” Barber said.

“I didn’t honestly even think I would get the name. I thought, ‘There’s no way that this name isn’t taken’, and it wasn’t taken or trademarked in Canada, and the government gave it to us.”

And it’s not just the company’s name that owes something to the inventor.

Meet Topsy…

Two of the trucks have names of significance, but for very different reasons.

First, there’s Topsy.

“Edison wasn’t always the nicest guy. He electrocuted an elephant called Topsy,” Barber said.

“So to honor the elephant that was electrocuted by Edison, we named our first real truck, Topsy.”

The history of this event is a little more nuanced, but still sad all the same.

Edison himself didn’t order the electrocution of Topsy, but a camera crew from his studio did film the event and released it as a film Electrocuting an Elephant (1903).

At any rate, it’s a fitting tribute for an animal that was put through a cruel ordeal.

…And Carl

The backstory to ‘Carl’ is much nicer at any rate.

“Carl was named after a truck driver [who] really liked the idea, and he was one of our first investors,” Barber explained.

“But unfortunately, Carl passed away.

“So he passed away about a month after investing with us. [He] thought diesel electric makes sense, so we named our very first rough prototype after him.”

Currently, Edison Motors’ tagline is ‘Built by truckers, for truckers’.

But originally it was ‘Stealing Tesla’s ideas’ – a nod to Edison and Tesla’s rivalry.

The modern-day Tesla wasn’t too happy about that.

“Tesla finally came out and said, ‘No, you guys, you guys need to stop saying you’re stealing our ideas as your company slogan.'” Barber recalled.

“It was funny because it was a joke on the current wars, obviously. Thomas Edison stealing Nikola Tesla’s ideas, because that’s what Edison was always accused of.

“So the irony is, we could have fought it. It was our lawyer said it’d be like $15,000 to $30,000 to fight and appeal it and go through it, and you could probably win because of the historical joke of it.

“But honestly, you were like, well, we don’t have that kind of money to throw around after those kind of things.

“Yeah, for a small startup, we just can’t afford the $15 to $30,000.

“I don’t think we could end the joke on a better term than Tesla Motors saying that Edison Motors can’t say that Edison stole Tesla’s idea.

“Yeah, so it’s like Tesla Motors is now defending Edison while Edison defends Tesla.”

Production ramps up

The company is working from a newly acquired 300-acre property in the unincorporated community of Donald, British Columbia.

“Our main goal right now is to [get that production shop] built so we can start building trucks for some customers,” Barber said.

For Barber, his interest in trucks stems from his earliest years as a kid.

“I remember being five, six years old, and riding in a truck with my grandpa. He was a truck driver, and we rode together,” Barber said.

“And my dad drove trucks when I was younger.

“All my uncles drive trucks, even, like my great-grandfather, used to drive trucks, [so that’s] four or five generations now of driving trucks.

“The interest in electric came because I really like that kind of new technology.

“I’ve always been a little bit of an early adopter.”

To learn more about the company and the trucks Edison Motors produces, visit the website.

Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie