Electric Autonomy’s EV & Charging Expo 2023 brought exhibitors, speakers, and more than 2,000 attendees to Toronto’s Enercare Centre last month for a look at the latest in commercial electric vehicles and charging solutions.
Canada’s first show dedicated to the EV sector included an array of charging solutions; displays of electric vehicles, including city buses and trucks.
Displays also included bicycles, mini-cars, and others. Some visitors were able to test drive vehicles from Lion Electric, BrightDrop, and others – including micro-mobility vehicles from Sarit.
The presentation platform included speeches from provincial and federal government representatives offering updates on Canada’s progress on EV transition and charging infrastructure, and notes on funding available for businesses and consumers making the transition to EVs. Funding programs of note include:
- Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which provides funding towards the deployment of EV chargers and hydrogen refuelling stations across the country,
- Indigenous Clean Energy’s Charge Up initiative to bring EV chargers to rural and remote Indigenous communities, and
- Transport Canada’s Zero-emission vehicles programs, funding, and research.
Other speakers covered a variety of topics including fleet scalability, data privacy and connected cars, and innovative charging infrastructure models for multi-unit residential buildings. The closing keynote was given by Pierre Boutin, President & CEO of Volkswagen Group Canada.
One display that grabbed a great deal of attention was Project Arrow – the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) of Canada’s first, original, full-build, zero-emission concept vehicle that was designed, engineered, and built through an all-Canadian team of automotive assembly companies and post-secondary institutions.
And we have to say, it’s pretty sweet.
APMA president Flavio Volpe spoke with pride about Project Arrow’s development, and the challenges and opportunities that presented themselves during the car’s development. And it proves, in Volpe’s words, that “Canada belongs in tech conversations around the world.” He added that while government EV timelines might be difficult targets to reach, EV companies may find that partnering with fleets may offer a good opportunity for growth.
While fleet operators were one of the show’s main targets, it was also of interest to anyone looking to switch to an electric vehicle. Statistics on the event’s website point to the urgency in this sector:
- In three years, federal regulations will require that one in every five new vehicles sold in Canada will be zero emission,
- The roughly 13 million Canadians who live in multi-unit residential buildings will need access to EV chargers in the coming years, and
- Almost 1.4 million commercial vehicles are registered in Canada each year.
Automotive sales veteran and video journalist Josh West captured the event in a great YouTube video that concludes with Mr. Boutin’s presentation. We’re looking forward to more of these events in Canada in the years to come.
Pexels cover photo
Staff event photos