Electric transportation: Justin Trudeau at the opening of the IMPULSION summit in Montreal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a brief speech Monday morning at the opening of IMPULSION, the International Summit on Electric and Intelligent Transportation (TEI), which runs until Wednesday at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal.

The Prime Minister welcomed the 1,200 guests, including several foreign business leaders, and said that his “government continues to position Canada as a leader in clean energy, including in electric vehicle transportation.

According to Justin Trudeau, “Canada has moved from fifth to second place in the world in the lithium-ion battery supply chain.

Justin Trudeau praised his government’s investments in this sector, referring in particular to the assistance granted to Rio Tinto in Sorel last October. The investment, which could reach $222 million, was granted to allow the company to increase its production of critical minerals and decarbonize its Sorel plant.

“By making the strategic investments, by creating the parameters and conditions for this success, we were able to create something that is the envy of the world.”

To all of the workers, businesses, and leaders we met at @PropulsionQC’s IMPULSION Summit, my message was simple: We can achieve so much together. Because you have the skills and resources a net-zero future will demand – and we’re committed to working with you and supporting you. pic.twitter.com/wQzWwPfxuO

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 13, 2023

The premier highlighted the contribution of certain companies in the energy transition, such as Flo/AddÉnergie, which manufactures charging stations for electric vehicles in the Mauricie region, and vehicle manufacturer Lion Électrique of Saint-Jérôme.

The summit is aimed at commercial and institutional fleet managers, buyers and investors, manufacturing and industrial companies and politicians, among others.

“To all the leaders in this room today, my message is simple, together we can accomplish a lot,” said Prime Minister Trudeau.

Federal ministers François-Philippe Champagne and Pascale St-Onge, as well as provincial ministers Pierre Fitzgibbon and Benoit Charette are among the many elected officials attending the summit.

-This Canadian Press article was translated from French