Brian Kingston

Chinese brands are not a major player in Canada's EV market at the moment but imports from China have exploded in the last year as Tesla switched from U.S. factories for its Canadian sales to its manufacturing plant in Shanghai.

The number of rebates issued for electric vehicles soared in the spring, sparking hope that sales of battery-powered cars and trucks might finally be on track to meet national targets set by Ottawa.

Electric-vehicle sales in Canada grew by more than one third in the first half of this year but they are not keeping pace with the rest of the world.

Some of Canada's biggest automakers say the federal government needs to be more ambitious and co-ordinated in its approach to electric vehicle charging or it won't get as many people into battery-powered cars as it wants to by the end of this decade.

More new electric vehicles hit the road in Canada last year than ever before but the growth is nowhere near what is happening in Europe.

The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association says Canada needs to be building millions of stations.

Monday's reopening of the Canada-U.S. land border is sparking a mixed reaction among Canadian business leaders: They're excited that people and not just goods will be crossing the border again but are wary of remaining red tape.

Thousands of businesses have applied for the federal government's $73-billion wage subsidy program, joining a COVID-19 emergency economic plan that industry groups warn is becoming more complicated the longer businesses stay closed and workers off the job.

The federal government has moved to protect Canadian businesses battered by the COVID-19 pandemic or producing medical supplies from being gobbled up by outside interests by tightening the rules around foreign investments and takeovers.