Building a Canadian champion industry within North America

The production of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and their mineral, battery and component inputs can become a vital part of our country’s industrial and economic future, helping to maintain a high standard of living for future generations. By positioning Canada to play an integral role in meeting North American demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, zero emission vehicles and ZEV components, we can foster growth in our vehicle sector, create jobs in mining, manufacturing, engineering, design, etc., and encourage new intellectual property development. Further, we can encourage new technological development from the university and R&D stages through to commercialization and foster industrial developments of environmentally improved technologies that, at scale, promise Canada important competitive advantages. Such developments would drive lasting and productive economic growth in every region of the country.

This opportunity is something governments in Canada have been committed to realizing so far this decade by investing in global firms to produce EVs, battery modules, components and materials domestically, including General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Honda, Volkswagen (PowerCo), Stellantis/LGES (NextStar), Northvolt, POSCO, Umicore, and others. These investments give Canada a solid foothold in the transition to battery and EV manufacturing. However, to ensure they provide lasting return, we must purposefully build value chains from mining to cathode and anode active battery materials, and also support established parts manufacturers so they are making the equipment needed for next generation vehicles. If we do so, the production of zero emission vehicles and the component materials and technologies that go into them can become a champion industry for Canada, involving all regions of the country and benefitting North America as a whole.

This is an ambitious but achievable vision. To realize it, we must develop a game plan that identifies the actions, changes and supports needed to ensure our future success in critical mineral mining, mid-stream materials production, auto parts manufacturing and vehicle assembly, as well as the growth and success of Canadian companies and solutions.
In short, we need an approach that results in more “from Canada” in the vehicles driven across the roads of North America.

Over the next several weeks, Accelerate, Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Industrial Alliance, is inviting input from interested stakeholders to help build a national strategic approach aimed at growing and fortifying Canada's ZEV industry in a manner that's closely aligned with broader North American economic and geo-political objectives.

While some OEMs have slowed EV production in recent months, the long term trend for global mobility is decidedly away from internal combustion vehicles and towards electrification. Accelerate views the current pause as an important opportunity to scope the kind of strategic approach that will allow Canada to build out a more robust ZEV supply chain within the North American context. We are, therefore, seeking input on a national approach that positions Canadian sourced, manufactured and designed mobility solutions for sustained success. Specifically, this approach should support:

a) the sustainable development of our critical mineral assets and catalyze the growth of a robust mid-stream sector, which adds value to minerals sourced in Canadian mines;
b) the transition and growth of our components and parts manufacturing sectors;
c) the fostering, growth and commercialization of innovative Canadian firms and products;
d) the strengthening of our long-term value proposition within North America to continue attracting and retaining vehicle and battery manufacturing projects;
e) the expanded integration of and coordination between different segments within the ZEV supply chain.
We invite businesses, Indigenous leaders, labour unions, researchers, legal experts, investors, policy makers and any other interested parties to provide their comments on the questions below. The objective is to collaborate on developing ambitious, workable and non-partisan strategies that offer the promise of increased industrial activity in every region of the country, more high-skilled jobs at all points on the supply chain and improved integration of the North American EV sector.

Accelerate will distill and synthesize your responses, with the goal of releasing a comprehensive strategic approach proposal later in 2024.
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