Sept. 25, 2026 | The week’s top stories and Nissan’s Steve Rhind on Rogue, hybrids, more

Canadians are buying fewer U.S.-built vehicles.

That's because tariffs are reshaping where automakers source their products.

American-made vehicles in the first half of 2026 accounted for about 28.4% of Canadian sales.

That's down from 35.4% a year earlier.

Vehicles built in Mexico and Japan gained market share in Canada as automakers increasingly shifted Canadian-bound production away from U.S. factories.

In EV news, the opening of Volkswagen Group's Powerco electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Ontario is delayed.

Battery cell production at the $7 billion factory in St. Thomas won't start until at least 2029.

That's two years later than previously planned.

The company cites changing EV demand and battery technology for the delay, but it says construction will continue.

Powerco says the plant remains central to its North American strategy.

We end on manufacturing.

Canada is limiting imports of China-made EVs, but Chinese components continue flowing into vehicles assembled elsewhere.

Some EVs sold in Canada contain a significant amount of Chinese content.

while still qualifying for federal rebates.

The US-built Chevrolet Bolt, for example, sources 51% of its value from China.

That highlights North America's continued reliance on Chinese EV supply chains.

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

You can find more on those and other stories at our website, automotivenews.ca. Coming up, Automotive News Canada publisher Tim Dimopoulos speaks with Nissan Canada President Steve Rind.

Canadians are buying fewer U.S.-built vehicles.

That's because tariffs are reshaping where automakers source their products.

American-made vehicles in the first half of 2026 accounted for about 28.4% of Canadian sales.

That's down from 35.4% a year earlier.

Vehicles built in Mexico and Japan gained market share in Canada as automakers increasingly shifted Canadian-bound production away from U.S. factories.

In EV news, the opening of Volkswagen Group's Powerco electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Ontario is delayed.

Battery cell production at the $7 billion factory in St. Thomas won't start until at least 2029.

That's two years later than previously planned.

The company cites changing EV demand and battery technology for the delay, but it says construction will continue.

Powerco says the plant remains central to its North American strategy.

We end on manufacturing.

Canada is limiting imports of China-made EVs, but Chinese components continue flowing into vehicles assembled elsewhere.

Some EVs sold in Canada contain a significant amount of Chinese content.

while still qualifying for federal rebates.

The US-built Chevrolet Bolt, for example, sources 51% of its value from China.

That highlights North America's continued reliance on Chinese EV supply chains.

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

You can find more on those and other stories at our website, automotivenews.ca. Coming up, Automotive News Canada publisher Tim Dimopoulos speaks with Nissan Canada President Steve Rind.