At the first hybrid meeting of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC), members recognized recent successes in the industry, such as the $16 billion in investments in manufacturing and critical battery components. The challenges and opportunities presented by this time of “significant transformation” were also discussed, in the session that was joined by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (Government of Ontario).
“The auto sector is integral to Canada’s economy, supporting the employment of over half a million Canadians. With our country’s strength in manufacturing, clean energy, and a burgeoning battery industry, combined with our world-class workforce, Canada can lead in designing and building the vehicle of the future. Our government will continue to work collaboratively with our partners in labour and industry, like the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council, to accelerate the work being done to cut pollution and support well-paying jobs for Canadians today and generations to come,” said Champagne.
“The road to 2035 and beyond” plan also presents challenges for the industry. including new investment incentives in the United States, price competitiveness issues for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), charging infrastructure issues, workforce training and transition issues, issues for industry participants, the Canadian industry’s ability to quickly access and refine critical minerals as well as Canada’s capacity to deploy supportive measures, such as charging infrastructure, to meet Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction target and reach net zero by 2050.
Following the meeting in Ottawa, CAPC co-chair Rob Wildeboer said, “We welcomed the opportunity to be joined by the federal Ministers with responsibilities for environmental regulations, charging infrastructure and critical minerals, for an open dialogue with industry so that they could hear firsthand from CAPC members on competitiveness and other issues facing the industry currently. CAPC exists to create a viable advanced manufacturing sector for Canada in the automotive space, and we continue to focus on achieving that.”
To enhance discussions regarding Canada’s zero-emission future, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, participated in the meeting and had the opportunity to discuss topics including issues surrounding critical minerals and charging infrastructure.
