The federal and Ontario governments have made substantial investments into infrastructure for a clean energy transition, making zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) more affordable while investing in a supportive infrastructure with more charging stations across the country and an upgraded manufacturing facility.
Yesterday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford announced their commitment to Ford Motor Company of Canada’s investment in its Oakville Assembly Complex. This project, valued at $1.8 billion, will include federal and provincial contributions of $295 million each. This investment will help repurpose the battery-electric vehicle production and position the innovative Canadian automotive industry as a global leader in ZEV manufacturing.
“Today’s announcement is a testament to Canada’s attractiveness as a destination for clean technology, talent, and infrastructure in the automotive industry,” said Prime Minister Trudeau. “Companies like Ford are helping accelerate our transition to a low-carbon, clean-growth economy, which will help protect our environment, drive innovation, and create many good middle class jobs.”
This investment allows the government to support recovery from COVID-19 as it creates more economic opportunities for Canadians while meeting the net-zero carbon emissions targets by 2050.
The governments are working with industry to attract ZEV manufacturing facilities through large-scale investments and are committed to working with Canada’s automotive partners, including Ford and Unifor, to attract investment, including in zero-emissions technologies, and to ensure that the automotive industry remains one of the most competitive in the world.
“Today’s investment from Ford Canada is historic. It will ensure our province continues to lead North America and the world in automotive manufacturing and innovation, while boosting our competitiveness in this key sector,” said Ford. “Together with our federal partners, we are proud to invest almost $300 million to support the production of next-generation, made-in-Ontario vehicles and secure thousands of good-paying jobs across the province for years to come.”
The Government of Canada has also provided over $300 million to support the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of fast chargers for electric vehicles, natural gas, and hydrogen refuelling stations as well as the research, demonstration, and development of next-generation charging technologies and enabling codes and standards.
As we continue to address the impacts of #COVID19, we are also working toward a sustainable and greener economic recovery that will create new jobs and opportunities. Learn about new support for battery-electric vehicle manufacturing in Ontario ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Lju8S8ztGC
— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) October 9, 2020
For further information, click here:
Electric and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration (EVID) Program
Featured image: From left to right at the Ford Oakville Assembly Plant on October 8, 2020: Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development; Stephen Crawford, MPP Oakville; Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP and Parliamentary Assistant.
