A U T O M O T I V E
P L A N T S
Machinery & Equipment MRO
June 2022
CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN CANADIAN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION Investments in Ontario production plants are on the rise, with manufacturers who operate in the province pledging additional money more regularly. Quebec is also seeing investments in cleantech plants. BY MARIO CYWINSKI
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he core of Canada’s automotive production is in Ontario, with OEMs Ford Motor Company of Canada, General Motors Canada, Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM), Stellantis, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TMMC), all operating plants within its borders. Most of the investments are looking to the future, with electric technology, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and full electrics at the top of the list for vehicles allocated to the Canadian plants. Not all are electric, as TMMC has invested in building the NX (and
NX Hybrid) at its Cambridge plant. As well, GM Canada is bringing pick-up truck production back to Oshawa. While some of the plants will retool and switch over to building electrified vehicles, some will continue to build vehicles with internal combustion engines, at least in the near future. MRO has put together a run-down of the investments that have been announced over the last year. They are in chronological order (with the newest first).
Honda Canada
HCM will invest $1.38 billion over six years to upgrade its
Alliston, Ontario, manufacturing plants. HCM is partnering with the governments of Canada and Ontario, with each contributing $131.6 million. HCM plants will implement new technologies, processes, supply chain, and vehicle R&D programs, in line with Honda’s goal to reach zero emissions by 2040. HCM will also become the North America Lead Plant for the 2023 CR-V Hybrid crossover. Currently, HCM has the capacity to produce over 400,000 vehicles and 190,000 engines annually. “This represents an important milestone for Honda as we move forward in our am-
bitious vision to make battery electric vehicles represent 100 per cent of our North America vehicle sales by 2040,” said Jean Marc Leclerc, President and CEO, Honda Canada. “HCM is home to a team of remarkably talented associates who build some of Honda’s most popular and fuel-efficient products. This investment not only ensures our product and manufacturing competitiveness within Ontario, Canada and abroad, but also significantly bolsters our ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help Canada attain its overall climate targets.” Both production lines at HCM will be retooled, in turn securing jobs in Alliston and throughout Honda’s Canadian supplier network. A range of enhanced job training initiatives and expanded inclusive hiring practices, and research and development programs
Photo: General Motors Canada.
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