Toronto, Ontario — The last time light vehicle production in Canada was so bad, the Maple Leafs were still winning Stanley Cups.
A solid zinger, but also the truth.
According to a new report from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, last year’s vehicle production of 1.1 million vehicles was on par with levels not seen since 1967.
Production numbers have been in a steady decline since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the industry putting out two million vehicles in 2019, down to 1.4 million in 2020.
DesRosiers said Toyota led production among Canada’s top five automakers with about 427,000 units. General Motors only managed to produce about 36,500 vehicles this year, however, that number is likely to jump up by next year thanks to the addition of a second shift at GM’s Oshawa assembly plant.
“While it seems unlikely that Canada will, in the near term at least, fully recover lost production ground, there does exist a clear opportunity to revitalize and adapt this critically important sector,” said managing partner at DesRosier Andrew King.
