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Scott Bell Community Update: With BrightDrop EV600 at CAMI, GM Canada is Driven by Confidence, Ambition and Optimism

2021-01-18

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Sometimes, when you are truly ambitious and play as a team, it all comes together.

With today’s ratification of our new 2021 agreement with Unifor at CAMI, we are charging ahead to make Canada the new manufacturing site for GM’s all-new BrightDrop EV600 fully-electric commercial delivery van. GM Canada engineers in Markham and Oshawa were instrumental in the early stages of ideation and testing of this truly innovative solution for the massive global delivery industry. Just three days after GM’s unveil of this new business, we identified Canada as the manufacturing home for the EV600. Something really good is happening here!  

Consider how far we have come at GM Canada:

• With more than C$2 billion in new combined investments announced for Oshawa, St Catharines and Ingersoll, we are standing up as one of Canada’s most confident investors.
• We will be the first company to make electric commercial vehicles on a large scale in Canada.
• Pickup truck assembly is scheduled to begin in Oshawa in less than a year and as a result, thousands of new jobs and indirect supplier jobs will be created just as Canada recovers from COVID-19.
• Our new Oshawa 55-acre McLaughlin Advanced Technology Test Track is on schedule to open this spring to support electric, autonomous and other R&D and testing.
• Our Canadian Technical Centre (CTC) has grown to become the largest software engineering and development centre for GM outside the U.S. and we continue to hire new engineers to support advanced driver-assistance systems, infotainment systems, electrification and innovative new technology.
• We continue to use our Oshawa facility to produce 10 million face masks at cost, for the Canadian Government.
• We led the industry in market share growth in 2020 and Cadillac posted its best retail sales year in Canadian history. With our customers as our focus, GM Canada is well- positioned to continue this momentum into 2021.

We have been busy, but more important, consider where we are headed. 

GM Canada will be a leader because of our incredible team of employees, dealers and community partners. Our zero emissions vision aligns with the Canadian Government’s vision for carbon neutrality, innovation and growth and we are committed to supporting Canada’s focus on health and innovation including working with the new Net Zero Accelerator fund. We applaud the Ontario Government’s leadership in addressing electricity prices, industrial taxes and its work to keep us safe and healthy as we help grow our economy.

The Mayors and Regional Chairs in our plant communities of Oshawa, St. Catharines and Ingersoll also support these objectives, and our university and educational partners are helping us to build a formidable Canadian ecosystem of innovation. And I want to again thank Jerry Dias, Unifor National President and Unifor for working as a partner so we can win together.

Welcome 2021. Thanks to all our customers. We embrace our future with confidence, ambition and optimism.   

Scott Bell

About General Motors Canada

General Motors of Canada is headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario and is part of a global company that is committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. In Canada, General Motors markets Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles through our strong Canadian network of dealers, as well as OnStar services. More information can be found at www.gm.ca or by following @GMCanada on Twitter and Instagram.

À propos de General Motors du Canada

General Motors du Canada, dont le siège social est situé à Oshawa, en Ontario, fait partie d'une entreprise mondiale qui s'engage à offrir aux gens des solutions de transport plus sécuritaires, plus efficaces et plus écologiques. Au Canada, General Motors distribue les véhicules Chevrolet, Buick, GMC et Cadillac par l'intermédiaire de son solide réseau de concessionnaires du Canada, en plus d'offrir les services OnStar. Pour en savoir plus sur GM Canada, visitez le www.gm.ca ou abonnez-vous à @GMCanada sur Twitter et Instagram.

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