GM Converts Ontario Plant to Canada’s First Full-Scale Electric Vehicle Maker
Source：thestar
From：Taiwan Trade Center, Toronto
Update Time：2023/01/25
On December 5th, General Motors and BrightDrop were joined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Ingersoll, Ontario for the opening of Canada's first full-scale electric-vehicle manufacturing plant. The plant, known as CAMI which GM has been completely retooled in record time to become the new global manufacturing home of BrightDrop’s fully electric delivery vans.
Both the federal and provincial governments had invested $259 million each to help the auto giant upgrade its production lines from manufacturing combustion engines to electric vehicles (EVs).
The seven-month overhaul of the facility cost $2 billion, according to GM. The investment in GM is part of Canada’s goal to build a battery ecosystem that can produce EVs, the demand for which has accelerated in recent years as the world tries to shift away from fossil fuels.
The first BrightDrop Zevo 600 rolled off the CAMI production line today, marking a new chapter in EV production in Canada and a significant step in the fight against climate change. Following a record-setting launch for GM, BrightDrop completed delivery of the first Zevo 600s to FedEx last year.
CAMI expects that by 2025, it will be manufacturing 50,000 Zevo vans annually. FedEx, DHL, Walmart, and Verizon are among the big-name businesses that have already signed on to add the BrightDrop Zevo 600 to their fleet of delivery vehicles. DHL Express Canada is the first Canadian company to pen a deal with GM for EV delivery vans. The vehicles will be added to its fleet by early next year.
“This milestone represents GM at our best - fast, flexible, and first in the industry,” said Mark Reuss, GM president. “The BrightDrop Zevo is a prime example of GM's flexible Ultium EV architecture, which is allowing us to quickly launch a full range of electric vehicles for our customers. And, as of today, I am proud to call the CAMI EV Assembly team the first full-scale all-electric manufacturing team in Canada.”
Over the last two years, Ontario says it has attracted $16 billion in transformative automotive investments from global automakers and suppliers of EV batteries and battery materials. This includes more than $12.5 billion in EV and EV battery-related manufacturing investments.
Source: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/12/05/a-van-from-gms-brand-new-ontario-electric-vehicle-plant-could-soon-be-bringing-a-package-to-your-door.html