"No one has firm plans to make EVs in Canada" - Not true, Canada had and still has Lion Electric for example. All Canadian schools should get their buses there. It's a great place for adoption to start. They also had/have trucks. Lack of support from Canada is shameful.

Canada is a large car market. More importantly, vehicles manufactured here will eventually be exported to the US when their policy corrects.

And we will not round up your works in chains like they are doing in the US at the moment (eg. Hyundai).

Which is why the Chinese government wants to dump it's cars here.

we are never going to build our own ev industry in time for it make any difference, the only places doing it are incredibly niche small companies making "kei trucks" and buses for public transit, or parts and assembly for foreign companies. and it would take decades for us to achieve a similar quality product that china has right now, if ever, and never at an affordable price in comparison.

the reason everyone isnt driving electric is because we dont have the availability, infrastructure, and pricing that makes it worthwhile.

we can 100% still make batteries and offer alternate solutions with said batteries rather than using them to create our "own ev line" we could make drop in battery/motor conversion kits for instance. for bikes, cars, trucks, buses, whatever you can imagine.

also we could use them to create and maintain municipal public transit, like torontos/vancouvers rental ebikes, except not privately owned. buses are already being converted as well. (looking at you winnipeg)

having locally made batteries will never not be valuable. having additional options and RnD cant hurt.

realistically speaking. theres zero chance we will be able to ever offer a more affordable and similar quality all canadian EV vehicle line up in the next several decades. thats a pipe dream.

but batteries, and the stuff to make them, will only go up in demand. and its possible that domestic batteries some day might be cheaper, if we play our cards right.

Canada assembles vehicle for Detroit and Japan. About 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, mostly in Ontario.

I have no idea why we bother to tariff EVs when they barely crack 7 percent in sales and at best may see 25 percent.

We do manufacturer some cars

The government justified its “tariff fortress” by pointing to China’s extensive industrial policy, such as subsidies, that artificially lower production costs. The tariffs were claimed to protect domestic producers by offsetting the cost advantage enjoyed by Chinese EV manufacturers.