Nearly 11 per cent of vehicles sold in Canada in 2023 were electric, according to Statistics Canada. It’s still a small slice of the overall market, but one that is growing rapidly.
Part of the reason for the growth is that several countries, including Canada, have proposed electric vehicle (EV) mandates intended to increase the number of zero-emissions vehicles on the road, which means you’ll likely see more Teslas, Chevrolet Bolts, Hyundai Ioniqs, Ford Mustang Mach-Es and electric versions of existing gas cars, SUVs and trucks.
However, there are significant differences between manufacturing electric vehicles and traditional gas guzzlers. And while Eastern Ontario isn’t home to any car manufacturing plants, there are jobs in the region that will be a part of the North American electric vehicle supply chain.
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Heavy-duty tires
Did you know electric vehicles are 30 to 40 per cent heavier than gas-powered vehicles? The main driver of their weight is the electric battery. Keeping that extra weight suspended above the road and ensuring the heavier vehicle can still come to a full stop in a hurry means EVs need specialized tires.
Goodyear is one of North America’s largest tire companies and it operates a plant in Napanee, producing millions of tires each year. The company is expanding this facility to produce tires specifically for electric vehicles, and adding 200 jobs as well as more co-op placements.
“These new jobs include production technicians, skilled trade production support staff technicians, mechanical and/or chemical engineers and quality and production specialists,” Goodyear spokesperson Kylie Ulanski says.
Batteries
Keeping those tires moving are those aforementioned heavy electric batteries at the heart of these new-age vehicles. In the coming years, Belgian-based Umicore is expected to open a plant in Loyalist Township, creating as many as 700 jobs and supporting the production of up to 800,000 electric vehicles each year.
While the plant’s construction was recently delayed, the company indicated in July that it’s making changes to its plans to ensure the plant is sustainable for the longer term.
Novelis is another company working on electric car batteries. The company’s Kingston plant is part of a global operation that makes Novelis the world’s largest recycler of aluminum, and one of the uses for that metal is building EV battery enclosures.
Raw materials
Creating these electric vehicle components, particularly the batteries and motors, requires raw materials including what are called “critical minerals.” You may have only ever heard of this group of 31 elements in chemistry class, but many of them are essential to the manufacture of electric vehicles, wind turbines and the electrification of many industries.
Three of the more commonly known critical minerals are nickel, cobalt and lithium — all central minerals in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This list also includes a group of minerals called rare earth elements, 17 distinct elements which are often turned into powerful magnets. Despite their name, rare earth elements are not rare, and are found in everything from computer hard drives and speakers to wind turbines, MRI machines, electric motors and more. But they are challenging to mine and refine.
To reduce the mining and the shipping of rare earth elements from China, some manufacturers are turning to North American suppliers of recycled critical minerals, and this increased demand means substantial growth for recyclers.
One major hub of critical metal recycling is in Kingston. Cyclic Materials was founded in Kingston and, in 2022, opened a pilot plant to recycle rare earth magnets. The company intends to recycle 8,000 tonnes of rare earth magnets annually at the plant. Its process involves breaking down old electronics to keep the magnets and recycling, or disposing of the remainder.
Ucore is a Nova Scotia-based recycler of rare earth elements, which also set up a demonstration plant in Kingston with a target of processing 2,000 tonnes of total rare earth oxides by the end of 2024. Ucore takes those mixed rare earth oxides from companies such as Cyclic Materials and further separates the elements into a purer oxide, meaning instead of a blend of any number of the 17 rare earth elements, its clients receive the specific element they need.
Vehicles of the future
Whether it’s recycling, manufacturing or helping to keep the supply chain moving, there are many opportunities for work in this new green economy. “Green jobs” are expected to rise by as many as 300,000 positions in Canada between 2023 and 2030, according to a report from the Smart Prosperity Institute and Future Skills Centre. And that’s on top of a significant shortage of workers in manufacturing in Ontario, which includes open positions and expected retirements, according to Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
Where the jobs are
So, if you want to work for companies hiring in green jobs, how should you prepare yourself?
If being hands-on with the parts and pieces of a car interests you most, you might want to try a job in manufacturing. Goodyear hires people with high school diplomas into positions such as production worker, which involves operating machinery and moving materials around the plant. Those with three years of post-secondary education in engineering can qualify for Goodyear’s Manufacturing Leadership Development Program, becoming shift operations managers the following year.
“Production technicians require a high school diploma or equivalent,” Ulanski says. “Skilled trade production support staff technicians need previous training, education and experience in skilled trades. Mechanical and chemical engineers must have a degree, with experience requirements varying by role. Quality and production specialists are preferably degree-holders.”
Perhaps you are organized and gifted with details. You might consider a job in supply chain and logistics — keeping the raw materials flowing in, and the product flowing out. Companies such as Cyclic Materials hire logistics associates to keep track of inventory and ensure shipments have the right documentation for their final destinations.
Maybe involving yourself directly in the recycling aspect of the business interests you. At Ucore and Cyclic Materials, they are looking for people with chemical and mechanical skills who help ensure the integrity of what they’re recycling, improve their processes and ensure the equipment is working as it should.
“As we continue to expand our core engineering team in Kingston, if we find the right engineering talent we will continue to add to the team,” said Kunal Phalper, senior vice-president with Cyclic Materials. “We also anticipate opening further commercial facilities in Kingston that will require more engineers as well as other manufacturing roles, such as operators, plant managers, and health and safety officers. This is a high-growth area in an emerging field.”
Often these hires have completed relevant science or engineering programs from an accredited college or university and may have prior experience working in metal recycling or mining environments.
“We like to hire local post-secondary graduates with training in chemistry or engineering,” said Michael Schrider, vice- president and chief operating officer with Ucore. “Along with our partner, Kingston Process Metallurgy, we work hand in hand with Queen’s University as a conveyor belt of talent that is helping our company reach commercialization.”
If you have an interest in science, an eye for details and a passion for sustainability, there is a wide range of career options waiting for you in the electric vehicle industry.
