We are very pleased to report that many of the policies that EMC has been advocating for have moved one step closer to being adopted by the federal government.

Our submission Priority Polices for the Advancement of Transportation Electrification in Canada, which we presented in our 2023 pre-budget recommendations last fall, are included almost if not completely verbatim in the Standing Committee on Finance report released last Friday.

A key highlight in the committee’s report is the recommendation of clear targets for ZEV sales: 20 per cent of light vehicle sales by 2026, 60 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035 (EMC recommendation #3, Committee recommendation #42.)

This is another significant endorsement of our work and a first from the Finance Committee.

The government will table its 2023 budget on March 28.

These recommendations come in response to the federal government’s proposed regulations, published in December 2022, that set ZEV targets for manufacturers and importers. The 75-day public consultation period for the proposal has ended and the final regulations are expected before the end of 2023.

EMC has submitted six recommendations, addressing sales targets, regional distribution, penalties for non-compliance, deficit time limit, credit lifespan, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) credits and caps.

EMC’s President and CEO, Daniel Breton, says that “By implementing these recommendations for more stringent ZEV sales targets, a mechanism for more equitable regional EV supply and clear enforcement options, Canada can attract more economic electric transportation investment that creates clean, quality jobs for Canadians, reduces the impact of climate change, improves air quality and health and reduces health care costs,”.

Read the news release here.

Read the full submission here.

Clara Clairman, CEO of Plug n’ Drive, and Marc Bédard, CEO of Lion Electric Co. made the Power List of the Top 10 EV Entrepreneurs,” the movers and shakers who are helping to advance Canada’s electric ambitions.”

Clairman is “spreading the EV gospel far and wide,” according to Maclean’s, while Bédard is “turning yellow school buses into green machines.”

Read the full story at: The Power List: Top 10 EV Entrepreneurs – Macleans.ca

Cara Clairman founded the not-for-profit Plug n’ Drive to accelerate public adoption of EVs. At its Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre, visitors can test-drive an EV. As many as 10,000 people visit each year—and surveys conducted by Plug’n Drive show that nearly 40 per cent of test drivers purchase an EV within six months. There’s a mobile trailer equipped with informational displays that travels the country, stopping at events and roadshows. It also offers webinars, employee training and student-learning programs.

At Lion Electric Co, which makes zero-emission school buses and other mid-sized vehicles, Marc Bédard leveraged his relationships with key officials in the U.S. government to ensure Lion, headquartered in Saint-Jérôme, Que., secured the lucrative contract Clean School Bus Program which divided $1 billion between 389 American school boards to electrify school bus fleets. Lion also manufactures electric trucks, and plans to open a $185-million battery plant in Quebec this year. By 2026, Bedard hopes to have 1,500 electric ambulances saving lives across North America.

The Honourable François Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced this latest investment in Canadian EV manufacturing at the IMPULSION Montreal summit this week.

The new plant represents the single largest investment in the history of the auto-sector in Canada, according to Minister Champagne.

Read the press release here.

Read Electric Autonomy’s article Volkswagen chooses Ontario for its first North American EV battery factory to learn more about the investment.

EMC President & CEO Daniel Breton moderated a panel at the event, on the topic How to cost-effectively decarbonize the transport sector, with Ekta Bibra from Clean Energy Canada, Philippe Dunsky from Dunsky Energy + Climate, Johanne Whitemore from HEC Montréal, and Gabriel Durany from AQPER.

EMC’s Maureen Shuell and Louise Lévesque were also in attendance at the symposium, taking advantage of many valuable learning and networking opportunities. We are grateful for this opportunity to connect with our friends and colleagues in the EV industry – both old and new!

Thank you to Propulsion Québec for putting on this great event which brought together so many thought leaders of the EV industry and providing us all with educational and inspiring content as we continue to work toward our transportation electrification goals.

Webinar on March 20 : Demystifying the operation of electric school buses

The event will feature a discussion with experts on the subject from Propulsion Québec, Highland Fleets, and Dunsky Energy + Climate.

Key topics include :

·    The characteristics of electric buses and charging equipment

·    The range and efficiency of electric school buses in various driving and weather conditions

·    The impact of electric school buses on power supply and the potential of vehicle-to-grid technology

This free webinar will take place on March 20, 2023 between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm ET.

Learn more and register for the webinar here.

Please note that this webinar is offered in English only

The survey regards the ZEV and battery suppy chain in Ontario, to understand the current and future labour market needs in ZEV and battery manufacturing required to realize clean economy opportunities in the sector and to galvanize meaningful policy action.

The survey will take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete.

Click here to complete the survey.

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