APMA President to Call for Canadian Automaker at CMTS 2025 Keynote!
By Ashutosh Arora
Flavio Volpe, president of the Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA), will use his keynote address at the upcoming Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS) 2025 to call for the creation of a Canadian-owned automobile brand. Scheduled for September 29 to October 2 at the Toronto Congress Centre, CMTS 2025 will bring together more than 10,000 professionals and 750 exhibitors from across the manufacturing sector.
In advance of his talk, Volpe emphasized that Canada has both the capability and the need to establish its own automaker. “It’s a goal that’s within reach,” he said. “What we learned during the pandemic was a dignity in making things, but also an advantage to having a strong manufacturing sector.”
The keynote, titled “The Resilience Playbook: Geopolitics, AI, Auto, Private Equity, and Advanced Manufacturing for Canada’s Future”, will be held on Monday, September 29, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. During the session, Volpe will outline how a steering committee of Canadian experts in artificial intelligence, machine learning, private equity, government, academia, production, and marketing will begin exploring the feasibility of a national car brand. A multi-million-dollar study conducted by a Big Four accounting firm is expected to commence in early 2026 to examine the business case in detail.
Volpe pointed to international examples as inspiration for Canada’s potential path forward. Mexico, for example, is preparing to debut its own domestic EV brand, Olinia, with a starting price of about $15,000, supported by government initiatives. Closer to home, he highlighted Project Arrow, Canada’s zero-emissions all-electric concept vehicle built with components from 60 Canadian companies, as proof that the country already possesses the supply chain expertise and engineering talent needed to build a car from the ground up.
“What do they know that we don’t know?” Volpe asked. “We don’t have a car company, yet we’re the world’s 12th largest automaker producing other people’s cars. We have this incredible globally relevant supply chain in Canada that relies on decisions from Detroit and Tokyo. We’ve done fine by it, but then the White House decides to disrupt the global auto sector. Volkswagen can focus on Europe, Toyota can focus on Asia, but Canada is left hanging in the wind.”
According to Volpe, Canada’s lack of a domestic automaker leaves it vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions, trade disputes, and foreign policy decisions outside its control. By establishing a Canadian-owned car company, the country could take greater ownership of its economic future while leveraging advanced technologies such as 3D printing, which he noted could reduce manufacturing tooling costs by as much as 50 percent. Lower costs would support profitability, encourage investment, and strengthen the broader economy.
“Beyond shelter, the biggest expense for any human being is transportation, and the number one longest-running market demand is automotive,” Volpe said. “Why wouldn’t we be in the business?”
CMTS 2025, presented by SME and supported by associations such as the Canadian Machine Tool Distributors’ Association, Canadian Tooling & Machining Association, and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, will provide the stage for this ambitious call to action. Volpe’s keynote is expected to spark debate on whether the time has finally come for Canada to build a car brand of its own, positioning the country not just as a supplier in the global automotive industry but as a leader in innovation, resilience, and independence.
