Champagne did not name the companies, only saying he spoke to representatives of Volkswagen last week, and has recently talked to executives from companies in the United States, Japan and Korea.
Canada is urging critical minerals producers and processors to scale up production. It has invested in EV projects through a multi-billion dollar fund set up in 2020, and last month pledged C$3.8 billion ($3 billion) over eight years to help boost the production and processing of critical minerals used for EVs.
Canada and the United States want all sales of passenger vehicles to be zero emissions by 2035.
In March, Stellantis, the parent of Jeep and Chrysler, said it would build an EV battery JV with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution in Windsor, across the border from Detroit, which Champagne called a “watershed moment.”
Blessed with key minerals
The government has met with industry players to establish a strategy it hopes will…
