Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. He is calling for an ambitious, moon-shot effort to produce a new Canadian-born automaker. At a Canadian Club event in Toronto, Volpe struck an inspiring chord. He especially implored conference goers to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the challenges facing the current state of the automotive industry, particularly those tied to U.S. trade policies.
Volpe expressed confidence that U.S. President Donald Trump will recognize the necessity of a robust North American trade block to effectively compete against China. He termed the current U.S. trade strategy as “incoherent.” He underscored the importance of innovative, green solutions to the challenge posed by Trump’s tariff hikes. “The shame would be in not trying and we all we do is end up playing defense,” Volpe stated.
The Canadian auto industry has been the happy recipient of recent major investments—$50 billion in commitments from six major automakers. Volpe is convinced that Canada has all the ingredients in place to build a homegrown automotive champion. He called on stakeholders to do a full study assessing the possibility of starting up a new Canadian automaker.
“Beyond shelter, the biggest expense for anybody around the world is transportation, and it is actually the biggest, the most expensive, most advanced portable good anybody can buy. Why wouldn’t we be in that business?” Volpe asked, bringing attention to the possible economic consequences that such an endeavor would have.
Volpe pointed out that other countries, including Vietnam, Turkey, and Mexico, are actively promoting national brands as electric vehicles gain popularity. He stressed the need to increase production of light-duty vehicles in North America. This would go a long way in closing the gap between the 20 million vehicles sold annually and the 15 million vehicles actually produced in the area.
Volpe vigorously lobbies to create a new automaker He’s led efforts to develop a prototype electric vehicle (EV) manufactured entirely in Canada. He knew that for anyone, even an establishment guru like him, starting a new automaker would not be easy. He stressed that Canada needs to take this current industrial crisis, created by U.S. policies, as inspiration to improve Canada’s own manufacturing base.
Volpe stressed the need for a renewed trade agreement. It needs to have tougher North American content requirements and stiffer penalties in order to shore up both the Canadian and North American industries. His call for action resonated with industry leaders. Readers are right to believe that Canada needs to make its mark in the automotive industry today more than ever.
Robert Wildeboer, another prominent figure in the industry, articulated the need for collaboration among allies, stating, “The U.S. is going to have to realize who are its allies and friends.” He added, “That doesn’t mean that we can’t work over something that’s really good in the context.”
Discussions about the future of the Canadian automotive industry are starting to heat up. Volpe’s vision for a national automaker resonates with a growing chorus of leaders p indent-ing the emerging theme: Canada must bet on Canada and pursue big dreams like never before as the world order shifts.
