Un extrait
The more interesting options are actually outside of the consumer market—and into things like replacing institutional vehicle fleets like school buses, trucks, and Canada Post vehicles. In this case, the federal government could consider setting up a crown corporation or ministry to direct the production of new fleets.
Such a project could be mandated to rehire workers who have been laid off by private auto companies due to the U.S. trade war. It could also appropriate any factories that automakers shutter to keep them running.The crown corporation could be given a mandate to source parts and materials from Canadian sources as much as possible, and to green its supply chain.
There’s even a starting point—Lion Electric. That Quebec-based company has been producing electric buses since 2017, as well as electric trucks, and logistics equipment. The company employs around 1,000 people at its St-Jerome factory. In December 2024, Lion applied for bankruptcy.
A federally funded crown corporation with a mandate for vehicle production could purchase Lion and keep the factory running. The infrastructure is already in place, and the workers at the plant have the expertise to continue building and expanding the operation.
There are up to 50,000 school buses in operation in Canada, and only around 300 of them are electric, according to the Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance. A federal crown corporation, beginning with Lion, could manufacture the vehicles needed for that transition. Doing so, even while progressively ramping up capacity, will take years—meaning that this transition alone would generate long-term well-paid jobs, while also ensuring that federal electrification plans keep money within Canada.
In the longer term, such a project, owned by the public, could be used to advance a number of other social and infrastructural goals as well—acting as an innovator and driver of transportation electrification in Canada. Having a public vehicle manufacturer would mean developing in-house expertise in manufacturing—expertise that could then be applied to a wide range of other projects.
The crown corporation could produce and install a network of electric vehicle charging stations across Canada, possibly using the existing vast network of post office parking lots. In addition to school buses, it could also help design and manufacture equipment for public transit agencies across the country, as well as electrify Canada Post’s massive fleet of vehicles. It could be given a mandate to develop electric trucks for medium- and long-haul trucking, or cargo-bicycle trailers for last-mile logistics in urban environments (such as the ones already being used by some companies like FedEx and Purolator).
