Whooping cranes steer clear of wind turbines when selecting stopover sites

Canada EV Supply Chain aligns electric vehicle manufacturing, batteries, and autonomous tech with cross-border trade, leveraging lithium, cobalt, and rare earths as GM, Ford, and Project Arrow scale zero-emissions innovation and domestic sourcing.

Key Points

Canada's integrated resources, battery tech, and manufacturing network supporting EV production and cross-border trade.

✅ Leverages lithium, cobalt, and rare earths for battery supply

✅ Integrates GM, Ford, and Project Arrow manufacturing hubs

✅ Aligns with autonomous tech, hydrogen, and zero-emissions goals

The storied North American automotive industry, the ultimate showcase of Canada’s high-tensile trade ties with the United States, is about to navigate a dramatic hairpin turn.

But as the Big Three veer into the all-electric, autonomous era, some Canadians want to seize the moment to capitalize on the U.S. pivot and take the wheel.

“There’s a long shadow between the promise and the execution, but all the pieces are there,” says Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association.

“We went from a marriage on the rocks to one that both partners are committed to. It could be the best second chapter ever.”

Volpe is referring specifically to GM, which announced late last month an ambitious plan to convert its entire portfolio of vehicles to an all-electric platform by 2035, even as a 2035 EV mandate debate unfolds.

But that decision is just part of a market inflection point across the industry, with existential ramifications for one of the most tightly integrated cross-border manufacturing and supply-chain relationships in the world.

China is already working hard to become the “source of a new way” to power vehicles, President Joe Biden warned last week.

“We just have to step up.”

Canada has both the resources and expertise to do the same, says Volpe, whose ambitious Project Arrow concept — a homegrown zero-emissions vehicle named for the 1950s-era Avro interceptor jet — is designed to showcase exactly that.

“We’re going to prove to the market, we’re going to prove to the (manufacturers) around the planet, that everything that goes into your zero-emission vehicle can be made or sourced here in Canada,” he says.

“If somebody wants to bring what we did over the line and make 100,000 of them a year, I’ll hand it to them.”

GM earned the ire of Canadian auto workers in 2018 by announcing the closure of its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont. It later resurrected the facility with a $170-million investment to retool it for autonomous vehicles.

“It was, ‘You closed Oshawa, how dare you?’ And I was one of the ‘How dare you’ people,” Volpe says.

“Well, now that they’ve reopened Oshawa, you sit there and you open your eyes to the commitment that General Motors made.”

Ford, too, has entered the fray, promising $1.8 billion to retool its sprawling landmark facility in Oakville, Ont., to build EVs, as EV assembly deals help put Canada in the race.

‘Range anxiety’
It’s a leap of faith of sorts, considering what market experts say is ongoing consumer doubt about EVs, including shortages and wait times that persist.

“Range anxiety” — the persistent fear of a depleted battery at the side of the road — remains a major concern, even though it’s less of a problem than most people think.

Consulting firm Deloitte Canada, which has been tracking automotive consumer trends for more than a decade, found three-quarters of future EV buyers it surveyed planned to charge their vehicles at home overnight.

“The difference between what is a perceived issue in a consumer’s mind and what is an actual issue is actually quite negligible,” Ryan Robinson, Deloitte’s automotive research leader, says in an interview.

“It’s still an issue, full stop, and that’s something that the industry is going to have to contend with.”

So, too, is price, especially with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic still a long way off. Deloitte’s latest survey, released last month, found 45 per cent of future buyers in Canada hope to spend less than $35,000 — a tall order when most base electric-vehicle models hover between $40,000 and $45,000.

“You put all of that together and there’s still some major challenges that a lot of stakeholders that touch the automotive industry face,” Robinson says.

“It’s not just government, it’s not just automakers, but there are a variety of stakeholders that have a role to play in making sure that Canadians are ready to make the transition over to electric mobility.”

With protectionism no longer a dirty word in the United States and Biden promising to prioritize American workers and suppliers, the Canadian government’s job remains the same as it ever was: making sure the U.S. understands Canada’s mission-critical role in its own economic priorities.

“We’re both going to be better off on both sides of the border, as we have been in the past, if we orient ourselves toward this global competition as one force,” says Gerald Butts, vice-chairman of the political-risk consultancy Eurasia Group and a former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“It served us extraordinarily well in the past ... and I have no reason to believe it won’t serve us well in the future.”

EV battery industry
Last month, GM announced a billion-dollar plan to build its new all-electric BrightDrop EV600 van in Ingersoll, Ont., at Canada’s first large-scale EV manufacturing plant for delivery vehicles.

That investment, Volpe says, assumes Canada will take the steps necessary to help build a homegrown battery industry out of the country’s rare-earth resources like lithium and cobalt that are waiting to be extracted in northern Ontario, Quebec and elsewhere, including projects such as a $1.6B battery plant in Niagara that signal momentum.

Given that the EV industry is still in his infancy, the free market alone won’t be enough to ensure those resources can be extracted and developed, he says.

“General Motors made a billion-dollar bet on Canada because it’s going to assume that the Canadian government — this one or the next one — is going to commit” to building that business.

Such an investment would pay dividends well beyond the auto sector, considering the federal Liberal government’s commitment to lowering greenhouse gas-emissions and meeting targets set out in the Paris climate accord.

“If you make investments in renewable energy and energy storage in Ontario using battery technology, you can build an industry at scale that the auto industry can borrow,” Volpe says.

Major manufacturing, retail and office facilities would be able to use that technology to help “shave the peak” off Canada’s GHG emissions and achieve those targets, all the while paving the way for a self-sufficient electric-vehicle industry.

“You’d be investing in the exact same technology you’d use in a car.”

There’s one problem, says Robinson: the lithium-ion batteries on roads right now might not be where the industry ultimately lands.

“We’re not done with with battery technology,” Robinson says. “What you don’t want to do is invest in a technology that is that is rapidly evolving, and could potentially become obsolete going forward.”

Fuel cells — energy-efficient, hydrogen-powered units that work like batteries, but without the need for constant recharging — continue to be part of the conversation, he adds.

“The amount of investment is huge, and you want to be sure that you’re making the right decision, so you don’t find yourself behind the curve just as all that capacity is coming online.”

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USDA Rural Clean Energy Programs drive climate-smart infrastructure, energy efficiency, and smart grid upgrades, delivering REAP grants, renewable power, and cost savings that boost rural development, create jobs, and modernize electric systems nationwide.

Key Points

USDA programs funding renewable upgrades, efficiency projects, and grid resilience to cut costs and spur rural growth.

✅ REAP grants fund renewable and efficiency upgrades

✅ Smart grid loans strengthen rural electric resilience

✅ Projects cut energy costs and support good-paying jobs

When rural communities lean into clean energy, the path to economic prosperity is clear. Cleaner power options like solar and electric guided by decarbonization goals provide new market opportunities for producers and small businesses. They reduce energy costs for consumers and supports good-paying jobs in rural America.

USDA Rural Development programs have demonstrated strong success in the fight against climate change, as recent USDA grants for energy upgrades show while helping to lower energy costs and increase efficiency for people across the nation.

This week, as we celebrate Earth Day, we are proud to highlight some of the many ways USDA programs advance climate-smart infrastructure, including the first Clean Energy Community designation that showcases local leadership, to support economic development in rural areas.

Advancing Energy Efficiency in Rural Massachusetts

Prior to receiving a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant from USDA, Little Leaf Farms in the town of Devens used a portable, air-cooled chiller to cool its greenhouses. The inefficient cooling system, lighting and heating accounted for roughly 20 percent of the farm's production costs.

USDA Rural Development awarded the farm a $38,471 REAP grant to purchase and install a more efficient air-cooled chiller. This project is expected to save Little Leaf Farms $51,341 per year and will replace 798,472 kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough energy to power 73 homes.

To learn more about this project, visit the success story: Little Leaf Farms Grows Green while Going Green | Rural Development (usda.gov).

In the Fight Against Climate Change, Students in New Hampshire Lead the Way

Students at White Mountains Regional High School designed a modern LED lighting retrofit informed by building upgrade initiatives to offset power costs and generate efficient energy for their school.

USDA Rural Development provided the school a $36,900 Economic Impact Initiative Grant under the Community Facilities Program to finance the project. Energy upgrades are projected to save 92,528 kilowatt-hours and $12,954 each year, and after maintenance reduction is factored in, total savings are estimated to be more than $20,000 annually.

As part of the project, the school is incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Math and Engineering) into the curriculum to create long-term impacts for the students and community. Students will learn about the lighting retrofit, electricity, energy efficiency and wind energy as well as climate change.

Clean Energy Modernizes Power Grid in Rural Pennsylvania

USDA Rural Development is working to make rural electric infrastructure stronger, more sustainable and more resilient than ever before, and large-scale energy projects in New York reinforce this momentum nationwide as well. For instance, Central Electric Cooperative used a $20 million Electric Infrastructure Loan Program to build and improve 111 miles of line and connect 795 people.

The loan includes $115,153 in smart grid technologies to help utilities better manage the power grid, while grid modernization in Canada underscores North America's broader transition to cleaner, more resilient systems. Central Electric serves about 25,000 customers over 3,049 miles of line in seven counties in western Pennsylvania.

Agricultural Producers Upgrade to Clean Energy in New Jersey

Tuckahoe Turf Farms Inc. in Hammonton used a REAP grant to purchase and install a 150HP electric irrigation motor to replace a diesel motor. The project will generate 18.501 kilowatt-hours of energy.

In Asbury, North Jersey RCandD Inc. used a REAP grant to conduct energy assessments and provide technical assistance to small businesses and agricultural producers in collaboration with EnSave.

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Accelerate Kootenays EV charging stations expand along Highway 3, adding DC fast charging and Level 2 plugs to cut range anxiety for electric vehicles in B.C., linking communities like Castlegar, Greenwood, and the Alberta border.

Key Points

A regional network of DC fast and Level 2 chargers along B.C.'s Highway 3 to reduce range anxiety and boost EV adoption.

✅ 13 DC fast chargers plus 40 Level 2 stations across key hubs

✅ 20-minute charging stops reduce range anxiety on Highway 3

✅ Backed by BC Hydro, FortisBC, and regional districts

The Kootenays are B.C.'s electric powerhouse, and as part of B.C.'s EV push the region is making significant advances to put electric cars on the road.

The region's dams generate more than half of the province's electricity needs, but some say residents in the region have not taken to electric cars, for instance.

Trish Dehnel is a spokesperson for Accelerate Kootenays, a multi-million dollar coalition involving the regional districts of East Kootenay, Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary, along with a number of corporate partners including Fortis B.C. and BC Hydro.

She says one of the major problems in the region — in addition to the mountainous terrain and winter driving conditions — is "range anxiety."

That's when you're not sure your electric vehicle will be able to make it to your destination without running out of power, she explained.

Now, Accelerate Kootenays is hoping a set of new electric charging stations, part of the B.C. Electric Highway project expanding along Highway 3, will make a difference.

No more 'range anxiety'

The expansion includes 40 Level 2 stations and 13 DC Quick Charging stations, mirroring BC Hydro's expansion across southern B.C. strategically located within the region to give people more opportunities to charge up along their travel routes, Dehnel said.

"We will have DC fast-charging stations in all of the major communities along Highway 3 from Greenwood to the Alberta border. You will be able to stop at a fast-charging station and, thanks to faster EV charging technology, charge your vehicle within 20 minutes," she said.

Castlegar car salesman Terry Klapper — who sells the 2017 Chevy Bolt electric vehicle — says it's a great step for the region as sites like Nelson's new fast-charging station come online.

"I guarantee that you'll be seeing electric cars around the Kootenays," he said.

"The interest the public has shown … [I mean] as soon as people found out we had these Bolts on the lot, we've had people coming in every single day to take a look at them and say when can I finally purchase it."

The charging stations are set to open by the end of next year.

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Canada 2035 Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate sets EV sales targets, raising concerns over affordability, battery materials like lithium and copper, charging infrastructure, grid capacity, renewable energy mix, and policy impacts across provinces.

Key Points

Mandate makes all new light-duty vehicles zero-emission by 2035, affecting costs, charging, and electric grid planning.

✅ 100% ZEV sales target for cars, SUVs, light trucks by 2035

✅ Cost pressures from lithium, copper, nickel; EVs remain pricey

✅ Grid, charging build-out needed; impacts vary by provincial mix

Whether or not you want one, can afford one or think they will do essentially nothing to stop global warming, electric vehicles are coming to Canada en masse. This week, the Canadian government set 2035 as the “mandatory target” for the sale of zero-emission SUVs and light-duty trucks as part of ambitious EV goals announced by Ottawa.

That means the sale of gasoline and diesel cars has to stop by then. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra called the target “a must.” The previous target was 2040.

It is a highly aspirational plan that verges on the delusional according to skeptics of an EV revolution who argue its scale is overstated, even if it earns Canada – a perennial laggard on the emission-reduction front – a few points at climate conferences. Herewith, a few reasons why the plan may be unworkable, unfair or less green than advertised.

Liberals say by 2035 all new cars, light-duty trucks sold in Canada will be electric, as Ottawa develops EV sales regulations to implement the mandate.

Parkland to roll out electric-vehicle charging network in B.C. and Alberta

Sticker shock: There is a reason why EVs remain niche products in almost every market in the world (the notable exception is in wealthy Norway): They are bloody expensive and often in short supply in many markets. Unless EV prices drop dramatically in the next decade, Ottawa’s announcement will price the poor out of the car market. Transportation costs are a big issue with the unrich. The 2018 gilets jaunes mass protests in France were triggered by rising fuel costs.

While some EVs are getting cheaper, even the least expensive ones are about double the price of a comparable product with an internal combustion engine. Most EVs are luxury items. The market leader in Canada and the United States is Tesla. In Canada the cheapest Tesla, the Model 3 (“standard range plus” version), costs $49,000 before adding options and subtracting any government purchase incentives. A high-end Model S can set you back $170,000.

To be sure, prices will come down as production volumes increase. But the price decline might be slow for the simple reason that the cost of all the materials needed to make an EV – copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel among them – is climbing sharply and may keep climbing as production increases, straining supply lines.

Lithium prices have doubled since November. Copper has almost doubled in the past year. An EV contains five times more copper than a regular car. Glencore, one of the biggest mining companies, estimated that copper production needs to increase by a million tonnes a year until 2050 to meet the rising demand for EVs and wind turbines, a daunting task given the dearth of new mining projects.

Will EVs be as cheap as gas cars in a decade or so? Impossible to say, but given the recent price trends for raw materials, probably not.

Not so green: There is no such thing as a zero-emission vehicle, even if that’s the label used by governments to describe battery-powered cars. So think twice if you are buying an EV purely to paint yourself green, as research finds they are not a silver bullet for climate change.

In regions in Canada and elsewhere in the world that produce a lot of electricity from fossil-fuel plants, driving an EV merely shifts the output of greenhouse gases and pollutants from the vehicle itself to the generating plant (according to recent estimates, about 18% of Canada’s electricity comes from coal, natural gas and oil; in the United States, 60 per cent).

An EV might make sense in Quebec, where almost all the electricity comes from renewable sources and policymakers push EV dominance across the market. An EV makes little sense in Saskatchewan, where only 17 per cent comes from renewables – the rest from fossil fuels. In Alberta, only 8 per cent comes from renewables.

The EV supply chain is also energy-intensive. And speaking of the environment, recycling or disposing of millions of toxic car batteries is bound to be a grubby process.

Where’s the juice?: Since the roofs of most homes in Canada and other parts of the world are not covered in solar panels, plugging in an EV to recharge the battery means plugging into the electrical grid. What if millions of cars get plugged in at once on a hot day, when everyone is running air conditioners?

The next few decades could emerge as an epic energy battle between power-hungry air conditioners, whose demand is rising as summer temperatures rise, and EVs. The strain of millions of AC units running at once in the summer of 2020 during California’s run of record-high temperatures pushed the state into rolling blackouts. A few days ago, Alberta’s electricity system operator asked Albertans not to plug in their EVs because air conditioner use was straining the electricity supply.

According to the MIT Technology Review, rising incomes, populations and temperatures will triple the number of air conditioners used worldwide, to six billion, by mid-century. How will any warm country have enough power to recharge EVs and run air conditioners at the same time? The Canadian government didn’t say in its news release on the 2035 EV mandate. Will it fund the construction of new fleets of power stations?

The wrong government policy: The government’s announcement made it clear that widespread EV use – more cars – is central to its climate policy. Why not fewer cars and more public transportation? Cities don’t need more cars, no matter the propulsion system. They need electrified buses, subways and trains powered by renewable energy. But the idea of making cities more livable while reducing emissions is apparently an alien concept to this government.

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Electric Vehicle Ownership Costs include lower maintenance, repair, and fuel expenses; Consumer Reports shows BEV and PHEV TCO beats ICE over 200,000 miles, with per-mile savings compounding through electricity prices and reduced service.

Key Points

Lifetime EV expenses, typically lower than ICE, due to cheaper electricity, reduced maintenance, and fewer repairs.

✅ BEV: $0.012/mi to 50k; $0.028/mi after; vs ICE up to $0.06/mi

✅ PHEV: $0.021/mi to 50k; $0.031/mi after; still below ICE

✅ Savings increase over 200k miles from fuel and service reductions

Electric vehicles are a relatively new technology, and the EV age is arriving ahead of schedule today. Even though we technically saw the first battery-powered vehicles more than 100 years ago, they haven’t really become viable transportation in the modern world until recently, and they are greener than ever in all 50 states as the grid improves.

As viable as they may now be, however, it still seems they’re unarguably more expensive than their conventional internal-combustion counterparts, prompting many to ask whether it’s time to buy an electric car today. Well, until now.

Lower maintenence costs and the lower price of electricity versus gasoline (see the typical cost to charge an electric vehicle in most regions) actually make electric cars much cheaper in the long run, despite their often higher purchase price, according to a new survey by Consumer Reports. The information was collected using annual reliability surveys conducted by CR in 2019 and 2020.

In the first 50,000 miles (80,500 km), battery electric vehicles cost just US$0.012 per mile for maintenence and repairs, while plug-in hybrid models bump that number up to USD$0.021. Compare these numbers to the typical USD$0.028 cost for internal combustion vehicles, and it becomes clear the more you drive, the more you will save, and across the U.S. plug-ins logged 19 billion electric miles in 2021 to prove the point. After 50,000 miles, the costs for BEV and PHEV vehicles is US$0.028 and US$0.031 respectively, while ICE vehicles jump to US$0.06 per mile.

To put it more practically, if you chose to buy a Model 3 instead of a BMW 330i, you’d see a total US$17,600 in savings over the lifetime of the vehicle, aligning with evidence that EVs are better for the planet and your budget as well, based on average driving. In the SUV sector, buying a Tesla Model Y instead of a Lexus crossover would save US$13,400 (provided the former’s roof doesn’t fly off) and buying a Nissan Leaf over a Honda Civic would save US$6,000 over the lifetime of the vehicles.

CR defines the vehicle’s “lifetime” as 200,000 miles (320,000 km). Ergo the final caveat: while it sounds like driving electric means big savings, you might only see those returns after quite a long period of ownership, though some forecasts suggest that within a decade adoption will be nearly universal for many drivers.

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EV Boom Aftershock highlights electric vehicles straining grid capacity as policy accelerates adoption, requiring charging infrastructure, renewable energy storage, and transition models from Tesla, NIO, Toyota, GM, Blink Charging, and Facedrive's Steer subscription.

Key Points

EV Boom Aftershock is the grid and industry strain from rapid EV adoption requiring charging and storage upgrades.

✅ Policy push: fleet electrification, 550k chargers planned

✅ Grid capacity, storage, and charging infrastructure are critical

✅ Bridge models: subscriptions, rideshare, and logistics electrification

2020 ushered in the start of the EV boom, but it could have a frightening aftershock. The world is already seeing some of the incredible triple-digit gains in EV companies like Tesla and Workhorse. And this EV wave is only expected to grow bigger in the days ahead under the Biden administration.  Mentioned in today's commentary includes:  Tesla, Inc., NIO Limited, Toyota Motor Corporation, General Motors Company, Blink Charging Co.

Just a week after inauguration, President Biden reported he plans to replace the entire government fleet with electric vehicles. That's up to 643,000 vehicles turning electric on the government's dime. But Toyota's president, Akio Toyoda, had an ominous prediction for what could lie ahead.

He stated that if EVs are adopted too quickly, we may not have the energy to support them at this point. In fact, he predicted Japan would run out of electricity by summer if they banned all gas-powered vehicles now. He even went as far as to say that if we rush the process of transitioning to EVs all at once, "the current business model of the auto industry is going to collapse."

While the buzz for electric vehicles has only grown over the last year, many often miss this key piece in making such a drastic shift in such a short period. And although it's expected to create plenty of demand for solar, wind, nuclear, and geothermal energy sources…

At this point in the game, they are still too expensive and lack the storage capacity we'd need for those to be the final solution. That's why companies bridging the gap to the EV world are thriving.

Facedrive, a company known for its "people and planet first" approach, has seen incredible success over the last year, for example. They recently acquired EV subscription company, Steer, from the largest clean energy producer in the United States. Steer's subscription model for EV cars is putting a major twist on the traditional car ownership model. So instead of everyone going out and buying their own EV, they can borrow one as-needed instead.

With Facedrive's acquisition of Steer, customers pay a simple monthly fee like with Netflix, and they get access to a fleet of EVs at their disposal.

Over the last year, big moves like this have helped Facedrive sign a number of important partnerships and deals including government agencies, A-list celebrities, and major multinational corporations. And they've even managed to grow their business throughout the United States and Canada during a time when ridesharing as an industry suffered during global lockdowns.

Smartest in the World Making Bold Predictions

While Toyota's president made a dark prediction about where we could be headed, he's not alone in being concerned. Elon Musk expressed his own concerns about the issue recently as well.

In an interview in December, he said that the world's electricity consumption would likely double once EVs become the norm. And that's only accounting for this mass adoption in electric vehicles.

The situation could become even more pressing as the rest of our lives grow increasingly digital too, sucking up more electricity in the process. With the "internet of things" creating smart cities and smart homes, the demand for electricity will only go up as everything from Peloton bikes to Nest thermostats are now connected by the internet.

With thousands of cars on the roads during morning and evening commutes, it's not hard to imagine times where we simply wouldn't have enough grid capacity to charge all EVs that need it at once.

But in the meantime, Facedrive's moves are putting them squarely in position to smooth out the transition. And in addition to the monthly membership model used with Steer, they're helping keep the number of cars on the road down through their signature ridesharing service.

Their model is simple. When customers hail a ride, they have the choice to ride in an electric vehicle or a standard gas-powered car. After they get to their destination, the Facedrive algorithm sets aside a portion of the fare to plant trees, offsetting the carbon footprint from the ride. In other words, customers ride, they plant a tree.

Through next-gen technology and partnerships, they're giving their customers the option to make a more eco-friendly choice if they choose. Plus, Facedrive has added a booming food delivery service, which has expanded at a record pace while folks were stuck at home during global lockdowns.

They're now delivering over 4,100 orders per day on average. And after growing to 19 major cities, they plan to expand to more cities throughout the U.S. and Canada soon. It's this kind of innovative thinking that has many so optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead.

Who Will Win In The EV Boom?

Elon Musk warned that, like with the boom in smartphones, we're not likely to see the EV revolution all happen at once, and industry leaders still see mainstream hurdles ahead for broad adoption. Because just like with smartphones, you can't replace them all at once. But it's undeniable that the movement is growing at a remarkable pace, with many arguing it has reached an inflection point already in several segments today.

Even under an administration that was not supportive of climate change and green initiatives, the EV markets have soared throughout 2020, and U.S. EV sales are surging into 2024 as well across segments.

Tesla was one of the biggest market stories of the year, locking in over 700% gains on its way to becoming one of the largest companies on the S&P 500. And experts are expecting to see massive spending on the infrastructure needed for EVs under the Biden administration too.

In addition to his vow to spend more on clean energy research, President Biden also reported plans to build out 550,000 EV charging stations across the country. With the growth we've seen in this area already, it's also caused shares for companies like Plug Power to soar over 1,000% in 2020. And Facedrive has been sharing in this success too, with incredible gains of 834% over the last year.

Facedrive hasn't been the only company riding the EV wave, however.  Tesla (TSLA) was among the biggest market stories of 2020 with incredible gains of over 700%. This helped them become one of the highest-valued stocks in the United States with other Big Tech giants. It is now the most valuable car maker "of all time". It is now worth almost $800 billion.

After a much-touted Battery Day event and expectations of Musk developing a "Million Mile Battery" in the near future, Tesla recently joined the S&P 500.

Billionaire Elon Musk had his eye on this trend far before the hype started building. He released the first Tesla Roadster back in 2008, making electric vehicles cool when people were still snubbing their noses at the first-generation EVs. Since then, Tesla's stock has skyrocketed by over 14,000%. But while Tesla's EV threat to the industry is clear, the competition is heating up in China's EV market right now as rivals scale.

Nio (NIO) is Tesla's biggest competitor, dominating the Chinese EV markets. After going public in 2018, it's been on a tear, producing vehicles with record-breaking range. They recently unveiled their first electric sedan with a longer range battery, which sent shares surging in early January.

Nio's current performance is a far cry from just one year ago In fact, many shareholders were ready to write off their losses and give up on the company. But China's answer to Tesla's dominance powered on, eclipsed estimates, and most importantly, kept its balance sheet in line. And it's paid off. In a big way. The company has seen its share price soar from $3.24 at the start of 2020 to a high of $61 this month, representing a massive 1600% returns for investors who held strong. 

By NIO's fourth quarter report in October, the company announced that its sales had more-than doubled, projecting even greater sales in 2021. The EV up-and-comer has shocked investors and pulled itself back after its rumored potential bankruptcy in 2019, and if this year shows investors anything, it's that its CEO William Li is as skilled and ambitious as anyone in the business.

Toyota Motors (TM) is a massive international car producer who hasn't ignored the transition to greener transportation. In fact, the Toyota Prius was one of the first hybrids to hit the road in a big way. While the legacy hybrid vehicle has been the butt of many jokes throughout the years, the car has been a major success, and more importantly, it helped spur the adoption of greener vehicles for years to come.

And just because its Prius hasn't exactly aged as well as some green competitors, Toyota hasn't left the green power race yet. Just a few days ago, actually, the giant automaker announced that three new electric vehicles will be coming to United States markets soon.

Toyota has a major hold over U.S. markets at the moment. In fact, it maintains a 75% share of total fuel cell vehicles and a 64% share in hybrid and plug-in vehicles. And now it's looking to capture a greater share of electric vehicles, as well.

General Motors (GM) is one of the legacy automakers benefiting from a shift from gas-powered to EV technology. Even with the downfall of Detroit, GM has persisted, and that's due in large part to its ability to adapt. In fact, GM's dive into alternative fuels began way back in 1966 when it produced the world's first ever hydrogen-powered van for testing. And it has not stopped innovating, either.

With the news of GM's new business unit, BrightDrop, they plan to sell electric vans and services to commercial delivery companies, disrupting the market for delivery logistics. This is a huge move as delivery sales have absolutely exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and are projected to grow even further over the coming years.

And in January 2021, the giant automaker announced that it will discontinue production of all gas-powered vehicles, including hybrids, by 2035. This is a key factor in its commitment to become carbon-net zero by 2040.  The move will likely sit well with shareholders which are increasingly pushing for companies to clean up their act.

Blink Charging (BLNK) is building an EV charging network that may be small right now, but it's got explosive growth potential that is as big as the EV market itself. This stock is on a major tear and all that cash flowing into it right now gives Blink the superpower to acquire and expand. 

A wave of new deals, including a collaboration with EnerSys and another with Envoy Technologies to deploy electric vehicles and charging stations adds further support to the bullish case for Blink.

Michael D. Farkas, Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman of Blink noted, "This is an exciting collaboration with EnerSys because it combines the industry-leading technologies of our two companies to provide user-friendly, high powered, next-generation charging alternatives. We are continuously innovating our product offerings to provide more efficient and convenient charging options to the growing community of EV drivers."

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