Backgrounder

Canada’s Clean Automotive Success Story

Canada’s successes in developing cleaner, more efficient vehicles are widely recognized. On April 1, 2010, our Government took an important step towards meeting Canada’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goal by announcing our proposed regulations on emissions from passenger cars and trucks; those regulations will be harmonized with the United States.

We are continuing our record of success by announcing that we are developing regulations for heavy-duty vehicles that are aligned with United States standards. Manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks operate in an integrated North American market and a common approach makes sense for them. Heavy-duty vehicles include full-sized pickups, delivery vehicles, buses, freight vehicles, service trucks, garbage trucks, dump trucks, as well as tractor trailers.

Canada has also established the Automotive Innovation Fund that will provide automotive firms $250 million over five years to support strategic, large-scale research and development (R&D) projects to build innovative, greener, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, recently announced that researchers at the University of Waterloo will receive an investment of $115,000 over two years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada under the Automotive Partnership Canada initiative. This investment will support significant, collaborative R&D activities to benefit the entire Canadian automotive industry.

Our Government has also undertaken important work with the Major Economies Forum. Together with the U.S. and other Members of the MEF, we have developed a series of Technology Action Plans. Canada is pleased to have led the Technology Action Plan for Advanced Vehicles, which will contribute, among other things, to developing and deploying greener, better-performing vehicles worldwide.

We are also building a critical mass of expertise in the four priority areas outlined in the Government of Canada's science and technology strategy. In May of this year, Dr. Ali Emadi of McMaster University was appointed as the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Hybrid Powertrain, in recognition of his extensive work in the area of environmental sciences and technology.

Canada will continue to lead the way in investment, research and development, and regulations to ensure that the vehicles on our roads are clean, efficient, and safe.

Related Documents:

Automotive Innovation Fund — Program Summary
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/auto-auto.nsf/eng/am02257.html

Automotive Partnership Fund
http://www.apc-pac.ca/About-Renseignements/Background-Contexte_eng.asp

News Release - Government of Canada shows Leadership and Partnership on Clean Energy Initiatives (December 14, 2009)
http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=714D9AAE-1&news=87FBC41F-7325-4624-8151-64808A1C5E1E

Government of Canada drives support for Auto Innovation (February 12, 2010)
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsRelease-CommuniqueDePresse_eng.asp?ID=179

Major Economies Forum Technology Action Plan for Advanced Vehicles (pdf)
http://www.majoreconomiesforum.org/images/stories/documents/MEF%20Advanced%20Vehicles%20TAP%2013Dec2009.pdf