Magna International Inc. chairman Frank Stronach said he wants to start mass-producing electric cars in Canada within three years.
The head of Canada's largest auto parts maker was in Ottawa on Tuesday seeking government support for his new electric vehicle venture after Magna cemented a deal with General Motors Corp. to acquire the U.S. automaker's money-losing Opel car brand in Europe.
Unveiling the fully electric compact that Magna developed in partnership with Ford Motor Co., Stronach said he is being courted by the U.S. and Europe but he wants his first electric cars to come off a Canadian assembly line.
"We are very serious, we have a serious commitment," he told reporters.
"I would like to see that the first electric car facilities are in Canada. If we would get a loan at a reasonable rate, we know we could speed it up, we would make sure it will be in Canada."
If successful, an electric car assembly operation in Canada would provide badly needed jobs in a troubled industry and help the global parts giant cash in on the growing demand for low-pollution vehicles in the marketplace over the next few years.
Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/0...-electric.html