BEV conference wraps up in Sudbury

The third Battery Electric Vehicle Mines to Mobility Conference wrapped up in Sudbury at Cambrian College on Thursday.

The BEV conference brings key players in the mining and automotive industries together to engage in productive conversations.

"These are two sectors that traditionally, based on geography and sector focus, haven't necessarily collaborated," said Mike Commito, director of R&D for Cambrian.

"But I think with the critical push for critical minerals in Ontario and beyond, we know that in order to meet that demand, in order to help the automakers meet the demand for EVs, they have to start working together."

Commito added the conference has been effective in furthering conversations.

"We're not just having the same conversations over and over. We're not bringing back the same people," he said.

"We are bringing the automakers back. We're bringing different voices back, we're bringing a different perspective."

The event is hosted by a number of partners, including Greater Sudbury, Cambrian College, EV Society and Frontier Lithium.

Highlights included the announcement of an alliance between Sudbury and Kingston to bridge the gaps in what the other community needs and vice versa.

The announcement of a battery materials processing plant being built in Sudbury through Wyloo metals was another highlight.

Ontario's Minister of Mines George Pirie discussed the need to bring more workers to meet the requirements of the critical mineral strategy.

"When you talk about the new projects that are out there, like Canada Nickel or the Ring of Fire or Frontier Lithium, just to name three of them, there's billions more that are going to be invested in these projects, and they all require talent," Pirie said.

Panel discussions

There was a combination of panel discussions, presentations and an EV showcase, featuring numerous electric vehicles and an electric-powered Zamboni used by the City of Greater Sudbury.

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, spoke of the need for Canada to get ahead of other countries on the EV front.

"We need to know what we have in the ground. We need to get it out on a schedule that is predictable and we're going to do it in a profitable way," Volpe said.

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"And anybody that's going to distract from that is in the way right now because the Chinese are ahead of us by eight to 10 years."

Greater Sudbury said attendance nationally and internationally had increased this year, and tickets were sold out, showing increased interest and growth in the event.