(Ottawa) Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the synergy between Canada’s auto and mining industries could help convince more manufacturers to come to the country to produce electric vehicles and the batteries that propel them.
Posted at 5:02 p.m.
In eight weeks last spring, car manufacturers and battery manufacturers announced investments of more than $13 billion in Canada, including in the manufacture of parts, batteries, buses and electric cars.
These announcements also provided, in some cases, for the conversion or expansion of existing plants.
Minister Champagne is traveling to Japan this week, where he is to meet with several car manufacturers that are not yet present in Canada, such as Mitsubishi, Nissan and Subaru.
In his plea, the minister says he wants to convince these companies that in a world where supply chains cause serious headaches for manufacturers, Canada has a skilled workforce, the necessary raw materials and the stability they seek.
He likes to tell companies that “stability, predictability and the rule of law are in high demand, but the supply is scarce”.
Although meetings are also planned with the giants Honda and Toyota, which are already in the process of converting their Canadian factories to produce electric vehicles, the discussions are not the same, admits the minister.
“If you talk to people who already have an established presence in Canada, it’s different because they already have investments,” he notes.
As for the other manufacturers, Mr. Champagne reports that the majority of them told him that they look for three elements before investing: talent, the ecosystem and resources.
“When you put it all together, Canada becomes a supplier of choice,” said the minister.
The trip to Japan follows a previous trip to Europe last spring, where Mr. Champagne met with German automakers, like Volkswagen, which regularly vies with Toyota for the title of the world’s largest automaker.
The minister is planning another trip to Asia, which should include South Korea, in the fall.