Canada:
"all electric vehicles by 2030"
GM produces a thousand-or-so Zevo 600 cargo vans in 2023
then shuts down production due to having no batteries
Thats it. that's all we did. The rest never happened.
— Tablesalt 🇨🇦 (@Tablesalt13) May 13, 2025
Canada’s ambitious push for an all-electric vehicle future by 2030 has hit a major roadblock. General Motors has halted production of its Zevo 600 cargo vans, citing a lack of available batteries. The shutdown comes after GM produced only a few thousand units in 2023, leaving the project stalled before it could gain momentum.
The Zevo 600 was supposed to be a cornerstone of Canada’s transition to electric commercial fleets. The vans were designed for long-range deliveries, powered by GM’s Ultium battery technology. But supply chain disruptions and soaring battery costs have crippled the effort. GM confirmed that battery shortages were the primary reason for the shutdown, with no clear timeline for resuming production.
This failure raises serious questions about Canada’s EV strategy. The federal government has committed to phasing out gas-powered vehicles by 2030, but the infrastructure and supply chain needed to support that transition remain fragile. Battery production has struggled to keep pace with demand, and automakers are facing mounting challenges in securing raw materials.
The Zevo 600 was initially manufactured at GM’s CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, following an $800 million investment to retool the facility. The project was expected to deliver thousands of electric vans to major logistics companies, including FedEx and Purolator. Instead, production has stalled, leaving businesses scrambling for alternatives.
The consequences of this shutdown extend beyond GM. Canada’s broader EV rollout depends on reliable battery supply chains, and this setback highlights the vulnerabilities in the system. Without a stable production pipeline, the country’s goal of eliminating gas-powered vehicles by 2030 looks increasingly unrealistic.
Sources:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/06/fedex-canada-takes-delivery-of-50-brightdrop-zevo-600-units/ https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/03/gms-brightdrop-adds-purolator-to-its-list-of-customers-in-canada/ https://insideevs.com/news/672286/brightdrop-delivers-first-50-zevo-600-electric-vans-canada/