Trans-Canada Information is a month-to-month have a look at a number of the smaller, however no much less necessary, Canadian automotive tales from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
USED COROLLAS BECOME ELECTRIC PICKUPS
STRATFORD, P.E.I. — From Canada’s smallest province comes a small firm that sells small electrical autos.
Upcycle Inexperienced Know-how is changing 2009-13 Toyota Corollas into small electrical pickups, and is focusing on fleet homeowners and trades professionals who want a cost-effective car to journey brief distances.
“There’s a good area of interest market,” firm mechanical engineer Natal Antonini instructed Charged Electrical Automobiles journal. The typical light-duty pickup burns about $30 of gasoline at present costs to journey 100 kilometres, he mentioned, whereas Upcycle’s transformed pickup makes use of about $2.50 in electrical energy to cowl the identical distance. Most vary is about 150 kilometres. It sells for $35,000.
Design engineer Russell Pedden mentioned the fledgling firm is “taking automobiles that in any other case might go to a scrapyard and giving them a brand new life.We’rethinking it’s going to virtually double the life span of those automobiles.” — Joe Knycha
‘POWER PACK’ PICKUP DOES MUNICIPAL DUTY
REGINA, SASK. — An electrical Ford F-150 Lightning has joined the Metropolis of Regina’s upkeep fleet and is predicted to deliver with it a wide range of new operational efficiencies.
“It’s a rolling energy pack, primarily,” mentioned Greg Kuntz, metropolis supervisor for sustainable vitality and adaptation.Workers “will be capable to cost all their tools of their truck as they go on a day-to-day foundation,” and wish solely keep in mind to plug it in on the finish of the day.
Town had ordered 5 F-150 Lightnings, however supply-chain points have thus far delayed supply of the opposite 4, Kuntz instructed information web site Electrical Autonomy Canada.
Regardless of costing $62,000 plus taxes,comparedwithabout $37,000 for an internal-combustion F-150, Kuntz expects the Lightning to avoid wasting $40,000 on gasoline over its lifespan and much more in upkeep financial savings.
“After we did the maths … we had been blown away by the distinction between the price of gasoline versus the price of electrical energy,” he mentioned. — Joe Knycha
NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL GROWTH IS LANDRY’S FOCUS
TORONTO — Former Chrysler Canada CEO Steven Landry has joined the board of Quebec-based Decisioning IT amid the corporate’s growth to changing into a nationwide and worldwide client automotive lender.
Landry will likely be instrumental in serving to DecisioningIT develop in the USA market, mentioned Rosa Hoffmann, CEO and co-founder. He’ll present advisory companies within the areas of income development and enterprise enchancment, together with market evaluation, enterprise valuation and due diligence by to definitive agreements, mentioned Hoffman.
Utilizing “predictive synthetic intelligence” in mortgage matching and buyer credit score administration, DecisioningIT gives financing choices to customers for his or her car purchases. The corporate’s predictive AI know-how permits dealerships to view a number of lenders at a time “providing one of the best choices for customers in a matter of seconds,” reviews Yahoo! Finance.
Since its Quebec-only launch in 2021, Decisioning IT says it has raised greater than $25 million. — Joe Knycha
SUPPLY CHAIN WOES TAKE A BITE OUT OF THE SOLO EV
Manufacturing of ElectraMeccanica’s (EM) Solo three-wheel electrical car dipped within the third quarter due to pandemic-related “aftershocks,” the corporate mentioned in its third-quarter report.
EM produced 103 of the single-seat commuter EVs, in contrast with 193 within the second quarter, and a complete of 575 since manufacturing started within the third quarter of 2021.
“From a manufacturing perspective, we had been adversely impacted by the appliance of zero-COVID insurance policies to our manufacturing and part provide companions in China, as pandemic aftershocks proceed to problem our provide chain,” the corporate mentioned Nov. 14.
Deliveries additionally dropped barely to 64 from 68 the earlier quarter. The Solo is inbuilt China, however EM plans to maneuver manufacturing to a Mesa, Ariz., facility beneath development.
The Vancouver-based firm reported income of US $1.44 million — in contrast with $1.55 million in Q2 — however that’s up virtually 12 instances from a yr in the past. EM’s web loss grew to $21.5 million, in contrast with $12.8 million in Q3 2021. — Steve Mertl
CANADIAN CHARGING COMPANY IS OFF TO MARKET
Vancouver-based Hypercharge Networks Corp. has listed its shares on the seven-year-old NEO Trade, saying it’s the primary Canadianfounded electrical car charging firm to go public. Hypercharge (listed as HC) mentioned it presents turnkey, sensible EV charging for a variety of consumers, together with multi-unit residential, industrial/retail and fleet operators. Firm President David Bibby mentioned Nov. 18 that creating charging infrastructure is essential to help the expansion of EV adoption.
The NEO Trade payments itself as “Canada’s Tier 1 inventory alternate for the innovation economic system, bringing collectively buyers and capital raisers inside a good, liquid, environment friendly, and service-oriented setting.” — Steve Mertl
EV INTEREST FUELED BY PRICE SHOCK AT THE PUMPS
TORONTO — BMW polled Canadians on their ideas about electrical autos, and it seems that excessive gasoline costs are pushing extra folks to think about electrical autos.
In line with the survey of 1,200 Canadians from each province, 79 per cent are involved with the working prices of inner combustion autos, and 25 per cent are contemplating shopping for an EV within the subsequent two years. The survey, launched Oct. 19, famous that gasoline costs soared throughout the nation this yr, peaking in June above $2 per litre.
For demographics, 66 per cent of males take into account themselves the first vehicle-buying decision-maker, in contrast with 47 per cent of ladies; 79 per cent of ladies say serving to the setting is a crucial consider shopping for an EV. Males are seven per cent extra prepared than girls to pay additional for an EV. — Kelly Taylor