• reddig33@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I don’t get this argument. Europe makes and exports EVs. Japan and Korea do too. Buy from them if you don’t want something US branded. Build EVs in Canada.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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      3 days ago

      Canada does not have the technical knowledge to build EVs. We make trucks with 1960s technology, or assemble vehicles designed in Japan. There is no point in making EVs in Canada when sales are barely 6%. The problem here is not manufacturers, it’s Canadian men who define their masculinity by the size of truck they buy, and then politicians who subsidize fuel for them.

      • humanspiral@lemmy.ca
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        2 days ago

        Canada does not have the technical knowledge to build EVs.

        It’s true that we have expertise in machining. We do have cheaper metal sources, and lithium and rare earth resources that could be used to leverage Chinese automation for batteries, motors, gigapresses, and then use Canadian assembly workers to finish the cars.

        The future is about engineering and design, and Canadian sustainability means avoiding anchoring ourselves to dead ender energy and processes.

        Ford was saying yesterday “We need to protect the $46B government has invested in EV transition”. First, that is an absurd subsidy level, but to your point, it was always meant as a grift, because “real Canadians” don’t know how to make EVs.

        With Chinese (or any other if they are volunteering) investment, in long term, it is technology transfer to Canadians. We’re too stupid to do anything disruptive/progressive is the path to staying stupid and falling behind.

        • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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          1 day ago

          We have zero IP on battery technology. All the factories Trudeau was funding were for outdated tech.

          This country spends the lowest of the G8 on R&D and we have nothing to develop as a result of that.

          • humanspiral@lemmy.ca
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            33 minutes ago

            When Ford invoked “constitutional crisis” notwithstanding clause for cancelling comppleted wind projects, we knew the interests buttering his buns. Truedau was not particularly firm against disinformation on carbon tax or climate sustainability.

            Certainly, Trump is most to blame for scaring away investment committment follow through, but Ford is bribed to sabotage any future Canadian participation in global progress.

            A strategy to invest in any interesting Canadian University patentable ideas has always been an exclusive offer to US oligarchy who is already dependent on fossil fuel protectionism. The exclusivity of potential slave masters also means terrible investment terms if the slaver accepts your begging for submission.