Automotive

Ontario is home to a unique ecosystem of world-leading vehicle assemblers, parts manufacturers and research centres that have been meeting the needs of international customers for more than 100 years.

The expertise of Ontario’s automotive cluster spans from proof-of-concept prototyping to production line automation systems to global logistics tracking software. And breakthrough technologies from Ontario research labs are shaping the future of connected-car technologies, driverless vehicles, and electric-hybrid powertrain systems. Ontario allows you to plug into our innovation ecosystem to expand your business or simply purchase high quality, competitively priced parts.

Ontario’s Automotive Industry by the Numbers

Who's here

• Blackberry QNX
• Denso
• Faurecia
• Ford
• GM
• Honda
• Lear
• Linamar
• Magna
• Martinrea
• Stellantis
• Toyota

A spark in technology

In the early 1800s, the world’s first-ever battery was discovered. Centuries later, top vehicle manufacturers are using this technology to power their vehicles to help create a sustainable future. Ontario remains a crucial jurisdiction in the global production and development of electric vehicles (EVs) and it will continue to build the innovative technologies that will define the future state of automotive design in electric vehicles and beyond.

Today, all manufacturers, from well-established automotive giants to talented newcomers, are adding more EVs to their lineup to prepare for a green future—and here in Ontario, Canada, we are focused on building the cars of tomorrow.

Award-winning manufacturing

These industry leaders and innovators find everything they need in Ontario: a high-quality workforce, strategic access to the North American market, a dynamic environment for R&D and a culture of high-quality, award-winning manufacturing. These advantages are part of the reason we’ve been one of the leading subnational car producers in North America for the past decade.

Leaders in intelligent transportation

The future of intelligent transportation is being built in Ontario today. With expertise in artificial intelligence, connectivity, cybersecurity and quantum computing, more than 300 companies in Ontario are now actively involved in connected and autonomous vehicle development and smart mobility.

A talented workforce

The backbone of Ontario’s automotive industry ecosystem is our people. We’re proud to have the world’s best and brightest call Ontario home, driving advancements across Ontario’s automotive cluster.

Ontario is home to 12 leading universities and 24 colleges with auto-focused programs. On average, our workers stay with a company for close to nine years; that means reduced training and hiring costs for employers. Lexus and Lincoln vehicles are built here because building high-quality, prestigious brands require dedication and attention to detail.

State-of-the-art R&D facilities

Tackling today’s challenges and driving the future of the automotive sector requires access to the right facilities.

If you are an R&D innovator, imagine the possibilities of joining Ontario's robust innovation ecosystem. If you are an assembler or manufacturer, just think of how your business can prosper from tapping into these centres.

The Automotive Centre of Excellence at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology is one of the largest and most sophisticated climatic wind tunnels on the planet, where test winds reach speeds of 300 kilometres per hour, temperatures range from -40 to +60°C, and relative humidity ranges from 5-95%.

Canmet MATERIALS lab in Hamilton, along with its lab in Calgary, is the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to metals and materials fabrication, processing and evaluation.

The Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research (FPC) is a joint venture between Western University and the Fraunhofer Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) in Pfinztal, Germany. The FPC at Western develops, tests, validates and characterizes new lightweight materials and advanced manufacturing processes at an industrial scale.

The Waterloo Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems (CIARS) provides researchers with five interconnected indoor labs, an outdoor lab and a highly advanced computational facility dedicated to electromagnetic devices and communication and sensing system development and characterization.