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With a robust supply chain, a wealth of critical minerals and a talent pool of experts, Ontario's automotive manufacturing legacy spans over 100 years.

Ontario is leading the way in the EV transition, leveraging its leadership in technology development and AI and is the only subnational jurisdiction in North America to have five major automotive assemblers: Ford, General Motors, Honda, Stellantis and Toyota. In 2023, Volkswagen Group-owned battery company PowerCo chose Ontario to build its first battery cell factory in North America.

Build the cars of the future here, in Ontario.

A measurable difference

#2

auto producer in North America after Michigan in 2022

1.2

million vehicles built in 2022

85%

of Ontario’s vehicle output is exported

100,000

workers directly employed in Ontario’s auto sector

24

auto-focused programs at Ontario universities and colleges

400+

companies work in connected and autonomous development and smart mobility

From steel to steering: Ontario’s unparallelled auto ecosystem

Build an entire vehicle in Ontario using our end-to-end automative supply chain.

Automotive corridor

From raw materials to parts and assembly for Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, Ontario’s automotive corridor is reliable and talent-rich.

In January 2023, the first, all-Canadian, zero-emissions connected vehicle, designed and built in Ontario, was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Project Arrow leverages Ontario’s end-to-end automotive supply chain and demonstrates the province’s world-class automotive innovation on a global stage.

Wealth of critical minerals

Ontario is home to exquisite deposits of nickel, lithium, platinum, cobalt and other crucial raw materials, making it one of the best places in the world to manufacture cars and car parts.

In March 2022, the Ontario Government released a Critical Minerals Strategy, “Unlocking potential to drive economic recovery and prosperity” to ensure Ontario’s place in the global supply chain as a clean, peaceful and cooperative destination to do business.

Automotive expertise

The backbone of Ontario’s automotive industry ecosystem is its people. The world’s best and brightest call Ontario home, driving advancements across the automotive cluster.

Ontario has 12 leading universities and 24 colleges with auto-focused programs, boasting more than 65,000 STEM graduates per year.

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Ontario: the future of automotive starts here

Tech Expertise

Innovation in EVs, PHEVs, connected cars and autonomous vehicles happens every day in Ontario. 

As the second most concentrated IT cluster in North America, after Silicon Valley, Ontario’s innovations in EVs, PHEVs, connected cars and autonomous vehicles happen every day in Ontario.

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3rd Largest

North America’s third-largest ICT region by employment

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Over 400,000

ICT workers

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Global Production

In 2022, Ontario was the number two automotive producer in the world next to Michigan building over 1.2 million vehicles.

With 14 border crossings into the US and 50+ trade agreements, Ontario manufacturers supply cars all over the world.

Build from a foundation of success.

Ontario is the only jurisdiction in North America to have five major global automotive assemblers.

In addition, Volkswagen Group and it's subsidiary PowerCo chose Ontario to build its largest battery cell manufacturing plants in North America.

In the past three years, Ontario has attracted over $27 billion in new investments in vehicle manufacturing and the electric vehicle battery supply chain.
 

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State-of-the-art R&D facilities

Manufacturers and assemblers can partner with Ontario Research & Development Institutions developing cutting edge innovations in the auto sector.

Testing with wind

The Automotive Centre of Excellence at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology is one of the largest and most sophisticated climatic wind tunnels on the planet, where test winds reach speeds of 300 kilometres per hour, temperatures range from -40 to +60°C, and relative humidity ranges from 5-95%.

Metals and Materials

Canmet MATERIALS lab in Hamilton, along with its lab in Calgary, is the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to metals and materials fabrication, processing and evaluation.
The Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research (FPC) is a joint venture between Western University and the Fraunhofer Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) in Pfinztal, Germany. The FPC at Western develops, tests, validates and characterizes new lightweight materials and advanced manufacturing processes at an industrial scale.

Sensing and Communication

The Waterloo Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems (CIARS) provides researchers with five interconnected indoor labs, an outdoor lab and a highly advanced computational facility dedicated to electromagnetic devices and communication and sensing system development and characterization.

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Magna’s roots in Ontario run deep, and we are excited about opening a new facility dedicated to a strategic electrification product. The Brampton facility, coupled with investment and growth in five existing [regional] Ontario facilities, allows Magna to keep up with customer demands across several product areas. We are excited to bring new business, more investment and additional jobs to Ontario.

Eric Wilds

CHIEF SALES AND MARKETING OFFICER MAGNA

Eric Wilds, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Magna.

In good company

Dana

Dana Canada Corporation's investment will create 105 jobs in Cambridge and Oakville and grow their manufacturing capacity.

Magna

Magna, one of the world's largest suppliers in the automotive industry, announced today that it will expand its operations across six locations in Ontario with a $471 million investment, expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs by 2027.

Mitsui

Mitsui High-tec (Canada), Inc. announced its plans for a significant $102.3 million investment in Brantford, Ontario. This new facility spanning approximately 103,500 square feet.

LG Energy Solutions and Stellantis

LG Energy Solutions and Stellantis invest a historic $5B+ to build Ontario, Canada’s first ever electric vehicle (EV) battery plant Gigafactory 

Umicore

Umicore plans to make a $1.5 billion CAD investment to build a first of its kind industrial scale cathode and precursor materials manufacturing plant, in eastern Ontario, Canada.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker, announced that its subsidiary PowerCo will establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facility in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.

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Ontario has been a great place for Mitsui High-tec (Canada), Inc. to settle and build. With the growing focus on the hybrid and EV industry in Canada, and our opportunity to strengthen the supply chain, Ontario is a fantastic location to be close to borders for export, with space and opportunity to continue growing.

Yasushi Harada

President of Mitsui High- tec (Canada), Inc.

Ontario’s assets in action

Photo of Dana Canada’s manufacturing facility
Dana Canada Corporation grows production capacity in Ontario with investment to expand EV technologies

Dana Canada Corporation’s investment will create 105 jobs in Cambridge and Oakville and grow their manufacturing capacity.

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Solar panels.
Press Room 7

Kainos is expanding its Toronto office with Invest Ontario’s support, aiming to triple its headcount to more than 300 employees over the next three years.

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