Future Automotive Technologies

Highlights

Canada’s auto sector is strategically located in the heart of the Great Lakes supercluster, which has the largest concentration of automotive manufacturing, engineering and R&D centres in North America (45% of total vehicle production). There are 36 high-volume assembly plants within a 500-kilometre radius of the Windsor (Ontario) - Detroit border, which built 7.4 million vehicles in 2016.

The Province of Ontario is an automotive manufacturing giant, boasting advanced R&D facilities, world-class academic institutions and leading-edge businesses that collaborate to transform ideas into globally-traded commercial products. With over 104,000 skilled autoworkers in the province, the region remains at the forefront of vehicle technology research, and home to some of the most sophisticated R&D facilities globally. Businesses innovate here to take advantage of competitive costs, a highly skilled and dynamic workforce, and the right infrastructure to bring new ideas and products to market. With expertise in artificial intelligence, connectivity, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and electric battery production more than 300 companies in Ontario are now actively involved in connected and autonomous vehicle development and smart mobility. Ontario is also home to 12 leading universities and 24 colleges with auto-focused programs.

Innovation and R&D - Ontario’s AVIN (Automotive Vehicle Innovation Network) connects the province’s world-leading automotive and technology sectors, high-quality post-secondary institutions, first-class talent and regional infrastructure to support entrepreneurship and create jobs in the automotive sector. AVIN capitalizes on the economic potential of automotive technologies and smart mobility solutions such as connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs), and enables the province’s transportation and infrastructure networks to plan for and adapt to this evolution.

Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, GM, Honda, Uber ATG, BlackBerry QNX, Tesla, Magna, Gbatteries, Electrovaya, Waabi, Aurora Tech, Linamar, Damon Motorcycles, Toyota are just some of the brands and startups who have chosen Ontario and regions across Canada to research, develop test and/or build their automotive vehicles and technologies.

AI-powered autonomous vehicles - Canada’s recognised expertise in artificial intelligence and related technologies, coupled with its traditionally strong automotive sector, has sparked the launch of multiple autonomous vehicle (AV) test tracks and pilot programs for self-driving vehicles in the country. These programs and settings enable governments, planners and private sector players to put vehicles, vision systems and mapping software through their paces in real-world conditions (including Canada’s four-season climate, and extreme temperatures). Their goals are to develop strategies, policies and a better understanding of the technology’s limits, safety and potential, to prepare for more widespread autonomous vehicle use.

In June 2021, it was announced that Raquel Urtasun, the chief scientist at Uber Advanced Technology Group, had launched a new US$83 million-funded, Toronto-based startup called Waabi. Waabi takes what she describes as an “AI-first approach” to speed up the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles, starting with long-haul trucks to help address the growing shortage of drivers in the industry.

Low Emissions - In the federal 2019 budget, the Government proposed a 100% tax write-off for zero-emission vehicles to support business adoption and set ambitious federal targets of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) reaching 10% of light-duty vehicles sales by 2025, 30% by 2030 and 100% by 2040. They announced an investment of over Can$600 million to help make ZEVs more affordable and infrastructure more accessible. The 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced an additional Can$150 million over three years to support more charging and hydrogen refuelling stations across Canada, and an additional Can$287 million for vehicle purchase incentives, building upon previous investments.

These commitments are backed up by Ontario’s position as a world leader in the development of EV batteries, taking advantage of the provinces rich concentration of the minerals used in their development. Greater Sudbury is particularly well-positioned as one of only a handful of suppliers to the electric vehicle battery market. As the world’s second-largest nickel sulphide deposit site, the area is primed to meet the needs of the electric vehicle boom and Ontario’s automotive supply chain.

In January 2021, Tesla announced it had extended its battery research contract with the team at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia led by Jeff Dahn, adding a second five-year term in a deal that underlines the team’s prominence in the battery research field.