Power Boost - Electric school buses and the revitalization of small- and medium-size businesses in Ontario’s auto industry

We respectfully acknowledge the space our organization is headquartered in as the traditional and ancestral territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, comprised of the bands Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai, the Îyârhe Nakoda Pembina Institute Power Boost | ii Nations, including the bands of Goodstoney, Chiniki, and Bearspaw, and the Tsuut’ina Dené. [...] The transition to zero-emission transportation impacts all segments of the auto sector and presents a unique opportunity for growth in the production and purchase of electric school buses (ESBs) in particular. [...] Given the strong participation of SMEs in the sector, the fortunes of SMEs are strongly tied to the fortunes of the sector. [...] To help plug the gaps in skilled workers, the Ontario government has announced an investment of $5 million to train young workers for 500 new jobs in the automotive industry.81 Are supply-side policies enough? The empirical evidence on the effectiveness of manufacture subsidy on the development of EV industry is limited due to lack of research and data on the topic,82 but existing research suggest. [...] Luxembourg offers a grant (up to 50% of the cost) for the purchase and installation of a new electric charging station with a power output of 11 kW or higher.108 The Swedish government, too, offers a grant that covers 50% of the costs associated with the purchasing and installation of both private and public charging stations available to companies and public entities.109 Similarly, the Chinese go.