Future of battery electric vehicles the focus at Sudbury conference
The second annual battery electric vehicle (BEV) conference is under way at Cambrian College in Sudbury.
Day 1 of the two-day Mines to Mobility Conference began Wednesday, drawing out leaders in mining, automotive and supply.
Battery electric vehicle conference in Sudbury at Cambrian College. May 31/23 (Amanda Hicks/CTV Northern Ontario)
Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said the conference is huge for the city.
"It not only showcases what we do in Sudbury, but all the resources we have here. But having the world come here and have that discussion about battery electric vehicles and the future of it," Lefebvre said.
Devin Arthur, president of the EV Society of Greater Sudbury, said some of the challenges in the EV industry is a lack of supply.
"The batteries for electric vehicles require critical minerals, nickel, copper, lithium," he said. "The projections are showing right now we need much more and we need a lot, exponentially amount more, so we need to find a way to fix that production."
Arthur said EV ownership has increased in Sudbury by 50 per cent.
"Every year, it's rising exponentially and there's so many models right now that are coming out all the time," he said.
"There's going to be a point where you won't be able to buy a gas vehicle anymore."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The conference is also showcasing various EVs, including some available to take for a test drive.
A focus of the conference is networking, getting professionals from different industries together for a mutual goal of advancing BEV production.
Glen Watson, of mining giant Vale, said collaboration is essential.
"One of the challenges is related to this big push towards increasing our output of minerals is carbon reduction," Watson said.
"And we understand this is not something we can achieve on our own and what we're trying to promote is that we need to work together."
Vale's Chief Operating Officer of the north Atlantic division, Alfredo Santana, highlighted the mining giant's partnership with Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO), a not-for-profit research arm of Laurentian University.
"It's about the potential for extracting critical minerals from waste materials, so that’s a really exciting project," Watson said.
Trevor Walker, Frontier Lithium president and CEO, introduced his company's proposal of a lithium hydroxide processing plant in Nairn, west of Sudbury.
Walker said the permit request has been sent in to the province, but it could take a year for the project to begin, if approved.
"Northern Ontario has yet to produce lithium salts or lithium chemicals, so a big part of the demonstration is to train the workforce for northern Ontario," he said.
George Pirie, Ontario's minister of mining, was a keynote speaker at the conference Wednesday, talking about BEV production in the north.
"The future depending on mining is an extremely exciting to me," he said.
"We're doing the right things and our government is doing the right thing to make sure we find the minerals of the future to power the EV revolution right now."
The conference will wrap up Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Iran fires at suspected Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
In his new book 'As Long as You Need', hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.