Ontario will proceed its successful streak in attracting multibillion-dollar electric-vehicle provide chain investments subsequent 12 months, with a second battery plant “completely” destined for the province, says Trade Minister Vic Fedeli.

“I believe that you simply’re going to listen to excellent news popping out of Ontario within the close to future about all of those, whether or not it’s elements, the battery elements or all the above,” Fedeli stated within the upcoming Jan. 6 Automotive Information Canada podcast.

• You possibly can hearken to earlier Automotive Information Canada Podcasts right here.

Whereas he wouldn’t title the businesses concerned, the minister and Premier Doug Ford have held current conferences with Volkswagen Group and its subsidiary PowerCo, that are searching for a Canadian website for the German-based automaker’s first North American battery cell plant.

Whereas Quebec additionally is taken into account a contender for the plant, Ontario is mostly considered because the frontrunner.

In 2022, Ontario drew EV provide chain investments, together with a $5-billion battery cell plant in Windsor, a three way partnership between Stellantis and LG Power Answer. In the meantime, Belgium-based Umicore N.V. selected the Kingston space as the location for a $1.5-billion battery supplies plant.

Fedeli in addition to his federal counterpart, Francois-Philippe Champagne, have met with auto executives in Europe and Asia, in a bid to promote Canada as the perfect vacation spot for his or her mines-to-mobility EV investments.

‘A REALLY FULL PIPELINE’

Conferences have been held with automakers, together with  Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz in addition to Toyota, Honda and battery makers, equivalent to Panasonic, stated Fedeli.

“So, we have now a very full pipeline of leads that we’re creating. And I might hope that we have now constructive information popping out of all of our gross sales conferences someday within the first quarter.”

Fedeli, who represents the using of Nipissing, stated he’s “working very onerous with corporations around the globe to … [put] a conversion facility to make lithium hydroxide in Ontario, as a result of that’s the place the lithium is.

“I will be darned if these rocks stand up and depart. They need to be processed in northern Ontario.”

When requested whether or not 2023 will surpass 2022 in relation to successful automotive investments, Fedeli stated Northern Ontario’s reserves of important minerals, equivalent to lithium and nickel, is the “province’s ace within the gap in luring corporations to Ontario.”

Bulletins involving lithium mining and processing investments “are coming,” he stated.