2021 Automotive News Canada All-Stars

Quebec is seeking to gain a foothold in the nascent supply chain for electric vehicles, and Marc Bédard, founder and CEO of The Lion Electric, is determined to help the province achieve that goal.

In 2008, Bédard left his position as partner in the PricewaterhouseCoopers firm to found Lion in Saint-Jérôme, Que., just north of Montreal. Lion made conventional ICE school buses, but about 10 years ago decided to put “all our energies” into making purpose-built mediumand heavy-duty electric vehicles, said Bédard.

Earlier in 2021, the company broke ground on a $185-million Quebec-based battery factory that is to open in 2023, adding 135 direct jobs plus spinoff employment.

Lion expects that by controlling production of lithium-ion batteries, it can reduce the cost of its vehicle manufacturing while ensuring control and optimization of the product. The facility will produce five gigawatt-hours in battery storage annually to electrify 14,000 mediumand heavy-duty vehicles.

Lion Electric is also adding a research and development centre at the Montreal-Mirabel International Airport.