Canada already has federal incentives for electric vehicles, but unions want higher incentives
Toronto — Unifor is calling for a national In the transition to automobiles, federal agencies were dedicated to leading at a time of "significant and uncertain change" in the industry.
The recommendations were included in Unifor's new automotive policy announced Thursday, a day after Canada's largest private sector union elected Lana Payne as its new president. , and reached what is called an "inflection point". point of the sector ”.
The union wants factory and capacity targets as part of an overall automotive strategy to help capture the potential of EVs. It also calls for increased government support through investment incentives and trade policies.
Ontario has already seen a new wave of EV-focused automotive investment in the past two years, totaling $16 billion, he said, but maintaining this momentum , a more comprehensive policy is needed, Payne said. Conference call to initiate policy.
"What we have done so far is not enough. We need something better. That is why we are submitting this document."
Unifor Automobiles The policy, the fourth in 20 years, emphasizes the importance of boosting production capacity for battery materials and electric vehicle parts, as well as providing transition assistance to workers who could hit suppliers and workers of auto parts. It outlines 29 recommendations that include the importance of giving. Transition to electric vehicles.
The recommendations also include protections for labor protection, diversity of employment, and consent of indigenous peoples to mining activities.
Federal Labor Secretary Seamus Oregan said the government would take Unifor's remarks seriously, but many ministers are actively working together on the file.
46}"This is actually a full court press. Many of the adjustments are called cabinet tables."
In Canada, Ford, GM, Stellantis, Honda Major automakers have committed to investing in electric vehicles, and Quebec has invested in batteries, but it is still in the early stages of transition, Rebekah Young said. Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics at Scotiabank.
“We have seen large investments that appear to be large because they are essentially out of thin air … being made towards the transition to net zero. If you look at the investments that are being made, it's really just a drop in the investment bucket.
For Canada, one of the most important aspects of the bill is that it is not included in the bill. This is because the United States has removed the provision that only vehicles manufactured in the United States receive subsidies.
The leave-as-is bill will help avoid a fight for market share in North America and allow the region to catch up with other markets in EVs, Young said.
"North America lags behind Europe and China in this area by at least a decade or more, so it lags in terms of cost, number of models, number of manufacturers, etc."
Canada also has its own incentives for electric vehicles, but Unifor wants to boost them as well as introduce a trade-in rebate program and increase spending on charging networks to boost demand. ing.
An EY survey released in June found that 46% of Canadian respondents planning to buy a car chose EVs, up 11% from the 2021 survey. raised concerns about limited charging stations and home charging. Infrastructure was the biggest barrier to adoption.
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