Electric Autonomy

The approaching end of 2024 means changes may soon be coming to Canada’s electric vehicle purchase incentive programs. Nine provinces and territories, plus the Canadian federal government currently offer EV buyers rebates. Within the next six months at least three of those programs are set to expire or scale back. The prospect of changes to Canada’s rebate programs is causing confusion and concern among those considering purchasing an EV. Some auto industry stakeholders are criticizing governments that either don’t offer or are rolling back their rebate programs, while governments say the rebates were necessary to kickstart a new industry, but can’t and shouldn’t be a permanent fixture. To demystify the situation, Electric Autonomy breaks down what Canadians can expect over the coming months from changing provincial and federal programs. Read on: https://hubs.ly/Q02ZTmRR0 #EVs #EVrebates #Canada

Quebec is streaking into the lead among all Canadian provinces for ZEV adoption. The province attained 34.6 per cent new ZEV sales in Q3 2024, up from 28.4 per cent in Q2. S&P speculates that Quebec’s adoption rate is largely due to “strong provincial incentives.” As the report states, “Quebec accounted for 53.8 per cent of all ZEV registrations in Canada [in Q3], up from 50.8 per cent in Q2, highlighting its dominant role in the national market.” S&P also reveals that “75 per cent of the models with an MSRP below $65,000 have a higher market share in Quebec than in the rest of Canada.” British Columbia is also seeing a jump to 24.9 per cent in Q3 2024, up from 21.8 per cent in Q2. Yukon, Prince Edward Island and Ontario round out the top five spots at 10.3 per cent, 9.6 per cent and 9.0 per cent, respectively. https://hubs.la/Q02ZT2xS0 #EVs #ElectricVehicles #Canada

As Lion Electric faces a major financial crossroads, Electric Autonomy takes a tour around its battery plant where the company hopes to make battery manufacturing the cornerstone of its future. ... Every 11 minutes a brand new lithium-ion battery pack rolls off the assembly line at the Lion Electric gigafactory on the outskirts of Montreal. The 175,000-square-foot facility, nestled in the YMX International Aerocity of Mirabel, echoes with the sharp screeches of automated machinery. Lion’s battery pack assembly factory is more than a place where batteries are made. It represents the company’s new strategy to stay competitive in an increasingly challenging EV industry: becoming an EV battery supplier. “We’re very proud of our factory,” says Patrick Gervais, vice president of truck and commercial development for Lion Electric, as he walks the production floor with Electric Autonomy. “We’re one of the few fully operating battery manufacturing facilities [in Canada], and…we have far more capacity than our current needs.” Like many vehicle manufacturers across the industry, Lion is struggling to build EVs at a volume that starts to generate sustainable profit margins. So, it’s time for a new tactic and Lion is moving quickly to seize its next opportunity. The company is now not only assembling batteries for its own vehicles, but recently it opened its doors (and order book) to external customers. “The [companies] that master the batteries are the ones that are going to distinguish themselves in this electrification world,” says Gervais. “Electrification is not something that’s going to pass by, it’s the new technology for transportation.” Read on: https://hubs.la/Q02ZQ3pq0 #EVbatteries #LithiumIon #BatteryManufacturing

Vicinity Motor Corp., a British Columbia-based manufacturer of electric buses and trucks, is in receivership. The move was triggered last month as the result of a court order following Vicinity’s failure to repay its loans. Vicinity owes loans in excess of $22 million to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). It’s entire board and several of the senior management team have resigned and the company has been delisted on NASDAQ. The news underscores that it’s been a difficult year for many companies in the electric vehicle manufacturing sector. Vicinity’s receivership comes on the heels of Lightning eMotors declaring bankruptcy at the end of 2023. Proterra followed suit this past spring and off-road EV manufacturer, Taiga, this summer. Export Development Canada (EDC) has also been drawn into the receivership saga as the guarantors of Vicinity’s debt to RBC up to US$22.5 million. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02ZQ1Cg0 #EVs #MHDEV #Canada

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has unveiled a new smart charging management system to support its 100 electric bus fleet at the Birchmount, Eglinton, Arrow, and Mount Dennis garage depot. It is one of the largest transit fleet charging systems located at a single location in Canada. “We are proud to be paving the way for transit electrification across North America, and bringing new, clean, quiet vehicles to customers and employees across the City of Toronto,” said Greg Percy, the TTC's interim CEO, in a press release detailing the project done in partnership with PowerON Energy Solutions, BetterFleet and ABB E-mobility. PowerON is a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation. It is a turnkey charging solution provider and is overseeing the installation, operation and maintenance of the TTC’s bus charging system. “By collaborating with industry leaders like BetterFleet and ABB E-mobility, we’re able to develop and implement innovative technologies tailored to our clients’ unique needs,” says Keegan Tully, CEO of PowerON Energy Solutions, in a press statement. “This project with the TTC demonstrates…bring[ing] together the best in the industry to drive the transition to zero-emission public transit.” PowerOn selected U.S.-based intelligent solutions provider, BetterFleet, for its smart charging software, which is integrating with ABB’s charging hardware. The project is receiving a $2.5 million grant from Ressources naturelles Canada (RNCan)’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration Program. Read on: https://hubs.la/Q02ZPNtF0 #EVfleets #EVcharging #Toronto

Customers in the Canadian medium- and heavy-duty EV market have a new vehicle to consider: the Isuzu 2025 NN-EV. This month the Japanese automaker received approval form Transport Canada - Transports Canada to retail the electric version of their popular low-cab forward truck. The 2025 NRR-EV will come in four sizes of batteries: 60kWh, 100kWh, 140kWh, and 180kWh and is eligible for the $75,000 medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle federal purchase rebate. “These are very exciting times for Isuzu and our Canadian dealers and customers. As the zero-emission market evolves, we are ready to elevate the customer experience with the NRR-EV,” says Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck Of Canada, Inc. (ICTC), in a press release. “As fleets continue to add zero-emission trucks, the Transport Canada incentives are a big help in bringing those customers into the Isuzu brand.” Isuzu manufactures its 2025 NRR-EV in Charlotte, Michigan since earlier this fall. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02ZLrvx0 #MHDEV #ElectricTrucks #Canada

Ontario has announced the successful applicants for the $63-million funding stream designed to put chargers in communities with populations under 170,000 people or any Indigenous community. The funding, originally announced in March 2022, comes from the Community Sites Stream in the ChargeON program. ChargeON is a $91 million EV charging investment fund from the Ontario Government | Gouvernement de l’Ontario. “Improving EV charging infrastructure is essential to ensuring drivers are confident in electric vehicles,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s minister of transportation, in a press release. “By focusing on smaller and medium-sized communities, we’re filling gaps in underserved areas to build a more connected charging network for everyone in Ontario.” Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q02ZL57G0 #EVs #EVcharging #Ontario

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The Canadian government is working with a new partner to help transition over 17,000 of its 40,000 vehicle-strong federal fleet vehicles to zero-emission. As part of a strategic partnership with Ressources naturelles Canada (RNCan), GHD Group, a global professional services firm, will analyze data from the federal fleet, such as vehicle usage, idle times, fuel consumption and duty cycles. The data gathered will be included in Green Fleet Optimization Assessment reports to guide the government in making informed decisions about fleet right-sizing and ZEV adoption as part of the Greening Government Strategy. The aim of the strategy is to reduce fuel consumption and bring fleet emissions in alignment with federal targets. “Supporting the Government of Canada’s mission to achieve a net-zero fleet represents a powerful step forward in global sustainability efforts,” says Martin Gavin, Canadian federal sector leader at GHD, in a press statement. “By bringing our data-driven approach to fleet decarbonization, we’re not only contributing to Canada’s climate goals but also setting a benchmark for government fleets worldwide.” GHD is using its Zero Emissions Vehicle Optimization (ZEVO) platform solution to collect and analyze the government’s fleet data. https://hubs.la/Q02ZKVC60 #ZEVs #EVfleets #Canada

NEW: The Quebec government is proposing a bill requiring truck manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles each year. Tabled last week by Quebec’s environment minister, Benoit Charette, Bill 81 encourages the sale of electric trucks in the province. The bill includes a credit system, under which manufacturers earn credits for each zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sold. Manufacturers must accumulate a specific number of credits for each model year. (The number of credits amassed will be determined by a calculation based on the automakers’ sales.) The proposed legislation applies to companies selling or leasing more than 50 heavy-duty vehicles annually. Meanwhile, manufacturers of buses and minibuses are exempt from the legislation. Heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers that fail to provide the required information or meet the government’s annual deadline to calculate how many credits they have earned could face fines up to $3 million. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02ZKyxp0 #MHDEV ElectricTrucks #Quebec