Local efforts to drive Ontario’s transition to EV

Hosted in partnership between Invest Oakville and the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, the meeting re-engaged Ontario Auto Mayors municipalities through their economic development offices to revisit the 2021 Action Plan and develop updated recommendations for the next term of Mayors.

EDOs in attendance had the opportunity to hear directly from industry on key opportunities to work as a collective to respond to industry needs. Representatives from Ford Motor Company of Canada, General Motors Canada, Honda Canada Inc. (represented by Global Automakers of Canada), Stellantis Canada (represented by Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association), and Toyota Canada Inc. shared actionable insights through an engaging panel discussion.

Municipal leaders in EV supply chain and policy development provided best practice examples and key lessons learned to inform an afternoon working session. Invest Sudbury shared BEV supply chain insights through their Mines to Mobility efforts, and the City of Vancouver’s Senior Sustainability Specialist Ian Neville, provided an in-depth overview of policy mechanisms the city has implemented to lead Canada in EV adoption.

Final recommendations identified during the EDO working session will be presented to Ontario’s Auto Mayors at an upcoming meeting planned for Q1 2023 to be held in Brampton.

The Ontario Auto Mayors work collaboratively at the provincial and federal levels to promote awareness, advocacy and strategic policy initiatives to further strengthen the Canadian economy through advancements and investments in the automotive sector. The automotive sector is a key driver of employment and innovation across Canada and the Ontario Auto Mayors collectively advocate for government incentives to ensure Canada remains competitive with other auto jurisdictions.