Aug. 21, 2026 | The week’s top stories and GM’s Shane Peever on surging EV sales

Stellantis is seriously considering closing and selling its Brampton assembly plant.

That's according to the union Unifor.

The move could jeopardize 2,200 jobs at the factory and thousands more across the supply chain.

The factory has been idle since late 2023.

It recently lost planned Jeep Compass production to a plant in Illinois.

Unifor says the potential buyer is not an automaker.

That means large-scale vehicle production would not continue at the plant.

In EV news, Ottawa is formally moving to repeal Canada's electric vehicle sales mandate, but its promised replacement is still months away.

The mandate would have required EVs to reach 20% of sales this year and 100% by 2035.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government instead plans tougher tailpipe emission standards But consultations won't begin until fall, with draft regulations now targeted for early 2027.

And on the retail front, Canada has a new, lowest-priced electric vehicle.

The Kia EV3 will arrive by the end of August, and it will start at $39,744.

That includes delivery and fees.

That price undercuts the Kia EV4 and the Tesla Model 3.

Most EV3 trims also qualify for Ottawa's federal EV rebate, bringing the base price down to about $35,300.

The EV3 offers up to 517 kilometers of range.

And that's a look at some of the top Canadian automotive stories of the week.

Stellantis is seriously considering closing and selling its Brampton assembly plant.

That's according to the union Unifor.

The move could jeopardize 2,200 jobs at the factory and thousands more across the supply chain.

The factory has been idle since late 2023.

It recently lost planned Jeep Compass production to a plant in Illinois.

Unifor says the potential buyer is not an automaker.

That means large-scale vehicle production would not continue at the plant.

In EV news, Ottawa is formally moving to repeal Canada's electric vehicle sales mandate, but its promised replacement is still months away.

The mandate would have required EVs to reach 20% of sales this year and 100% by 2035.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government instead plans tougher tailpipe emission standards But consultations won't begin until fall, with draft regulations now targeted for early 2027.

And on the retail front, Canada has a new, lowest-priced electric vehicle.

The Kia EV3 will arrive by the end of August, and it will start at $39,744.

That includes delivery and fees.

That price undercuts the Kia EV4 and the Tesla Model 3.

Most EV3 trims also qualify for Ottawa's federal EV rebate, bringing the base price down to about $35,300.

The EV3 offers up to 517 kilometers of range.

And that's a look at some of the top Canadian automotive stories of the week.