Globe says Lion, rivals hear Tesla eyeing Ontario

2022-08-10 08:03 ET - In the News

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The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Aug. 10, edition that Canada's ambitions of becoming an electric-vehicle powerhouse are being newly fuelled by interest from Tesla in locating a major manufacturing facility in Ontario. The Globe's Adam Radwanski writes that Tesla's engagement with Canadian governments to date has mostly been focused on policies to drive EV demand among consumers, such as the build-out of charging infrastructure. However, its filing with Ontario's lobbyist registry was updated in late July to include requests for changes to speed up permitting processes and boost incentives to make the province more attractive to "advanced manufacturing investment." At the federal level, meanwhile, a meeting took place in late June between Tesla and two senior officials in the office of Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who is the point person for Ottawa's efforts to attract automaking investment. New U.S. subsidies for electric vehicle purchases are likely to significantly accelerate the already quickening market shift away from gas-fuelled vehicles. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has recently made building an EV supply chain a centrepiece of his economic strategy.

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