Automotive News Canada - March 2022 - 30

30
03.22
30
FINAL ASSEMBLY
* MARCH 2022
LETTING LOOSE A BIT ON THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE
Yukon to blaze new EV trails
The territory looks to add
200 public charging stations
to link communities
AS ELECTRIC-VEHICLE
For Yukon, the road to more EVs begins
with charging stations. SUPPLIED PHOTO
registrations in the sparsely populated
northern region edge into triple digits,
Yukon's government has embarked on a
$1.8-million program to put nearly 5,000
electric vehicles on its roads by 2030.
To support that goal, it plans to install
200 public EV charging stations to link
every road-accessible community in the territory
within five years, reports Electric
Autonomy Canada. The Yukon had five
direct-current (DC) fast-charging stations in
early January, said Matthew Ooms, the territory's
energy director.
With federal government support from
Natural Resources Canada, Yukon's
charging-infrastructure program will cover
half of the cost for businesses that install
charging stations and 90 per cent for First
Nations governments and municipalities.
The Northwest Territories, which currently
has a half-dozen Level 2 chargers and
no DC fast chargers, is considering a similar
EV corridor program, including one from its
capital, Yellowknife, to the Alberta border
about 500 kilometres to the south. - ANC
KPMG's Peter Hatges: Survey
found people eager to buy EVs,
once they trust the batteries and
charging infrastructure.
FILE PHOTO
EVs must go
the distance
Hyundai CEO
Don Romano
THIS NUMBER
$240
MILLION
The amount Ottawa will invest
in Canada's semiconductor
industry to bolster
manufacturing and the research
of microchips
SAY WHAT?
'
This is a
home run.
François-Philippe Champagne,
federal industry minister, on General
Motors' plan to build a $500-million
EV battery materials plant in
Bécancour, Que.
The plan was to sleep on the
streets, 'but after an hour, it
was simply too cold'
HYUNDAI CANADA CEO DON ROMANO
spent a frigid night raising awareness of
at-risk youth in the community of New
Market, Ont., in Toronto's north end.
Romano was among 26 participants in
the 360°Experience, an annual fundraising
event by the York-based youth charity
360°kids. The 360°Experience calls on participants
to endure an overnight stay outdoors,
giving them insight into the hardships faced
by homeless young people.
FILE
PHOTO
Before the event, March 3, participants
were encouraged to collect donations for
360°kids. Hyundai Canada's dealer network
and employees raised about $102,000 to support
Romano's subzero sleepover.
" Our employees made contributions, but
Nickelback playing for sustainability
Three-day event in late
June is intended to
promote electric mobility
CANADIAN ROCK BAND
Nickelback has been confirmed as the
headliner for an outdoor concert during
the upcoming Canadian E-Fest in
Vancouver, Driving.ca reports.
The band has sold more than 50 million
albums worldwide since its formation
in Hanna, Alta., in 1995 and will
take to the stage on Canada Day, July 1,
to entertain attendees of the three-day
event, intended to promote electric and
other forms of sustainable mobility.
The festival also will play host to
the Vancouver E-Prix. The 10th round
of the electric ABB Formula E racing
helped raise
$102,000 for
homeless
youth by
spending a
cold night on
the streets of
Toronto.
PHOTOS:
IVAN LEUNG
FOR 360º KIDS;
SAM
MCEACHERN
Survey finds buyers
ready, but range
anxiety remains
ABOUT 71 PER CENT OF
Canadians would consider an EV
for their next vehicle purchase,
according to a new study by the
global accounting firm KPMG, but
nearly 80 per cent of respondents
say they wouldn't consider an EV
that doesn't have a driving range of
at least 400 kilometres.
Romano walks the streets
in support of homeless youth
the vast majority of that money came from
the generosity of the dealers across the
country, " Romano said. The event raised an
estimated $355,000.
360°kids CEO Clovis Grant, who joined
360°Experience participants on the streets
for the night, said he's grateful for the support
of corporate partners such as Hyundai
Canada, which is based in nearby Markham.
" People judge homeless people, they judge
homeless youth, " Grant told Automotive
News Canada. " So, when you've got these
executives spending a night on the street saying,
'This is a problem, homelessness is an
issue,' people listen. With Hyundai coming
up and raising so much money and raising
so much awareness, it makes people realize
we need to pay attention to this cause. "
Romano tried to sleep at a bus depot, " but
after an hour, it was simply too cold, " said
Hyundai Canada spokeswoman Jennifer
McCarthy. " So Don and his wife, Marilyn,
walked the streets for the remainder of the
night. " - ANC
series will take place on a temporary
street circuit in the city.
The band, now based in Vancouver,
was a " natural fit " to headline the concert,
said Anne Roy, executive vice-president
of event organizer OSS Group.
The Canadian E-Fest will begin
Thursday, June 30, with an eco-focused
business conference called E-Volve.
Other events will include a racing
esports competition and a celebrity
race featuring battery-electric city cars
manufactured by Vancouver-based
ElectraMeccanica. - ANC
" We found that Canadians are
ready to make the switch to electric,
emission-free vehicles, " said
Peter Hatges, a partner and national
sector leader of automotive at
KPMG Canada. " But they want to
see improvements in infrastructure
and trust battery technology in our
climate before they fully commit. "
The study surveyed 2,007
Canadians between Dec. 17 and
Jan. 4.
The report also found that consumers
want rapid charging, with
just more than half of the participants
saying they would not wait
more than 20 minutes at a public
charging stall and 18 per cent saying
they would not wait more than
five minutes.
Additionally, 85 per cent of
respondents said they have concerns
that wait times at charging
stalls would become longer as the
EV adoption rate climbs, making it
difficult to recharge their vehicle in
public during peak hours.
Millennial drivers are more
receptive to EVs, with 77 per cent
of respondents aged 25 to 34 saying
they would consider a battery-powered
vehicle for their next purchase.
The overwhelming majority of
respondents said they lack knowledge
about EVs; 90 per cent said
they would have to do a lot more
research before buying. - ANC
E-Fest organizers have booked Nickelback as
a " natural fit " for a three-day event focused on
electric vehicles.
PHOTO: CANADIAN E-FEST/NICKELBACK
'
http://www.Driving.ca
Automotive News Canada - March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - March 2022
