Analyst: Ontario Audi factory potential

Michael Robinet, executive director of automotive advisory services at S&P Global Mobility, said the completion of the new St. said no.

Favorable labor supply for Ontario

The Audi plant in Ontario would benefit from its proximity to battery production in St. Thomas, but would also be isolated from Volkswagen and Audi suppliers clustered around existing assembly plants in the southern United States and Mexico. he added.

Access to workers is one of Canada’s advantages, according to Robinett, who is based in Michigan. As Volkswagen’s cell factory decision shows, Canada has “pockets of labor” left, but the southern United States lacks the right mix of talent and available land.

“We now know that automakers are locating according to where they can find people. What good is it if you can’t?”

A combination of these factors is helping to reaffirm their position in Canada and the Midwest as automakers move to electric vehicles, Robinette said.

The two revived regions could compete for Audi’s future plants.

VW moves fast

Sam Fiorani, AFS’ global vice president, said it “makes a lot of sense” to have the assembly plant a “reasonable” distance from St. Thomas. He noted that southern Ontario and neighboring Michigan are promising prospects if Audi goes ahead with the new site.

“Volkswagen seems to be moving very quickly to establish an electric vehicle position in North America, and Canada seems to be in the right place at the right time for that move.”

But if the luxury brands of automakers are considering Canada As for the assembly plant, exploration remains at an early stage.

Volkswagen has registered more than 20 staff as lobbyists in Ontario and Ottawa before unveiling its St. Thomas battery plant in March. No comparable listing of Audi staff or consultants exists in any state or federal registry.

Neither the Ontario government nor the federal government has commented on whether they have met with Audi, but they welcome the possibility of being added to their tally of recent automotive investments.

Vanessa de Matisse, spokeswoman for Vic Federi, Ontario’s Minister for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said in an email:

Laurie Bouchard, spokeswoman for François-Philippe Champagne’s Federal Minister for Innovation, Science and Economic Development, said it was encouraging to see Canada gaining the attention of global automakers.

“We will continue to do everything we can to help Canadians benefit from the global transition to electric vehicles,” she said in an email.