Tesla to build Western Canada's first factory collision centre in PoCo

Tesla plans to build Western Canada's first factory-owned and operated collision repair centre in Port Coquitlam, according to a LinkedIn post by the automaker's new BC Collision Manager, first reported by Drive Tesla Canada.

Rishi Bakshi, who recently took on the collision manager role for the province, said he is leading the launch of what he called 'Western Canada's very first factory-owned and operated Tesla Collision Center,' and that Tesla is now putting together the facility's founding team.

What Tesla is hiring for

According to the announcement, Tesla is recruiting in Port Coquitlam for collision body technicians at every level, from apprentice to journeyperson, along with paint preppers and detailers. Open listings on Tesla's careers website include roles for a Collision Technician and an Apprentice Collision Technician.

Bakshi said new hires would receive repair training directly from the manufacturer, including work on aluminum and structural components, a specialty area as modern vehicles, and Teslas in particular, rely heavily on aluminum construction.

A second Tesla facility for Port Coquitlam

The collision centre would join Tesla's existing presence in the city: a 60,000-square-foot Service and Delivery Center that opened in Port Coquitlam last year. Together, the two facilities would make the city a regional hub for Tesla owners in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

Factory-owned collision centres are a relatively recent expansion for Tesla in Canada. Historically, most Tesla body repairs in the region have gone through third-party certified body shops, with owners sometimes facing long waits for parts and appointments. A factory-run facility gives Tesla direct control over repair standards, parts supply and turnaround times.

Why EV collision repair is its own specialty

Collision work on electric vehicles differs from conventional body repair in ways that matter for staffing. High-voltage battery systems require specific safety training before panels come off, aluminum-intensive construction calls for dedicated tooling and separate work areas to avoid cross-contamination with steel, and modern driver-assistance sensors and cameras need calibration after structural repairs. Manufacturer-run training, which Tesla is promising new hires, is how shops keep pace with those requirements.

That specialization is also why factory-owned facilities matter to owners: repairs done to the automaker's own standards, with direct parts pipelines, tend to move faster than work queued through independent certified shops.

How to apply

Bakshi pointed applicants to open listings on Tesla's careers website, where the Port Coquitlam roles are posted alongside the company's other Canadian openings. The postings span experience levels, making the launch one of the more accessible entry points into the collision trade for local apprentices, while journeyperson roles offer experienced technicians a manufacturer-backed path.

Who is leading the launch

According to his LinkedIn profile, Bakshi spent more than a decade at Boyd Autobody & Glass as regional development and area manager for B.C., before working as a regional manager for Speedy Glass in the province. His background in scaling collision operations across the region suggests Tesla intends the Port Coquitlam site to be the first of a broader Western Canada footprint.

Service versus collision: what each facility does

Tesla's existing Port Coquitlam site handles the ownership basics: new-vehicle deliveries, maintenance and mechanical service. Collision repair is a separate discipline covering body damage from accidents, everything from dented panels and paintwork to structural repairs after serious impacts. Splitting the two lets each facility specialize, and it explains why Tesla is staffing the new location with body technicians and paint preppers rather than mechanics.

Part of a bigger buildout

The Port Coquitlam plan lands as Tesla continues to expand its Canadian footprint beyond sales. Company-run service and repair infrastructure has become a bigger part of its pitch to owners as the fleet of Teslas on B.C. roads grows, and the province is one of the strongest EV markets in North America by adoption rate. A dedicated collision facility in the Tri-Cities puts that support closer to a large and growing owner base in the eastern Metro Vancouver suburbs and the Fraser Valley.

What it means locally

For Port Coquitlam, the announcement adds another automotive employer to the city's industrial base and brings skilled-trades jobs across a range of experience levels, from apprenticeships for people entering the trade to journeyperson roles. The city's location near the Highway 1 and Lougheed Highway corridors has made it a draw for regional-serving facilities.

For Tesla owners in the Tri-Cities, a local factory collision centre could shorten repair timelines after accidents, since vehicles would no longer need to be moved to more distant certified shops for warranty-standard work.

The announcement also fits a wider pattern of employers choosing Port Coquitlam for facilities that serve the whole region, from recreation projects like the new multi-sport complex to industrial and logistics uses along the city's railway and highway corridors.

No opening date has been announced. With the founding team still being recruited, the facility's timeline will likely depend on how quickly hiring and training proceed.