Quebec and Ottawa must change their criteria for calls for tenders in terms of transport in order to favor local purchasing and put an end to the rule of the lowest bidder, argues Marc Bédard, president and founder of Lion Électrique.
The leader of the electric bus and truck manufacturer expressed this wish during a speech organized by the Canadian Club of Montreal on Monday. He underlines that many countries have adopted criteria favoring local assembly. He gives as an example the “Buy American Act”, which obliges the Saint-Jérôme company to assemble vehicles ordered in the United States in its factory in Illinois. This plant should come into operation in the second half of 2022.
“In Canada, no such rule currently exists. We are really at a disadvantage, ”he laments. “Even worse, the rule of the lowest bidder is still present in several service offers,” continues the manager. This rule must be completely revised. It is a “killer innovation” and it encourages production in countries that do not have the same social and environmental criteria as in Canada. “
Removing the lowest bidder rule would not mean that governments would accept any price, assures Mr. Bédard at a press briefing on the sidelines of his speech. “It’s still possible to do it intelligently. He gives the example of California, which assesses the qualification of its bidders by assigning them a score according to various criteria. The price becomes a point to be considered only after this call for qualification. “This is not a blank check! “
Favoring local purchasing would bring significant economic benefits to the country, according to him. “We know that each job in the manufacturing sector creates between 7 and 10 indirect jobs. It’s not nothing. “
No cells produced here yet
There is still some way to go to locally produce the cells that make up electric batteries, replied Mr. Bédard after the conference. “Every time we talk to people from the Government of Quebec or Canada, we ask them the same question. Is it coming, because we would like to buy cells from Quebec or Canada? No doubt we would like that. Today, that does not exist. “
He notes that tenders in the United States will include requirements on the use of American cells. “They’re starting to do it. It is by having a vision that [que nous pourrons faire en sorte que ça existe] a few years from now. Canada loses out when the minerals extracted to produce the cells are exported to Asia for processing and back to North America. “It’s the worst of all worlds. “