U of G president Dr. Charlotte Yates spoke about the rising success of electric vehicles (EVs) in the automotive industry on the latest episode of the current affairs podcast The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge.  

In the episode, Yates said EVs began to be taken seriously three to five years ago when governments and industries came together to improve their accessibility. She said improvements to lithium-ion batteries have made EVs more reliable, despite supply and production capacity issues, and that the infrastructure to support EVs, especially for charging, is lagging.  

Yates co-authored a 2019 national report on the future of Canada’s automotive sector that suggested electric and driverless vehicles could be key to the industry’s survival in Canada and that outlined a plan to boost competitiveness and avoid plant closures.  

She is the president of the non-profit Automotive Policy Research Centre and the academic representative on the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council, and has been recognized by the Ontario Ministry of the Status of Women for her teaching and research on labour and unions.