Canada’s auto industry bucks 5-year production decline, more gains expected: DesRosiers

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says Canadian auto production rose last year to break a five-year streak of declining output.

The consultancy says total light vehicle production totalled 1.24 million units in 2022, an increase of 12 per cent from a year earlier.

Auto production took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic as supply chain disruptions, including a protracted semiconductor chip shortage, left automakers scrambling to find parts.

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Canadian production however has been declining for years from the 2.36 million units produced in 2016 as automakers cut back on shifts and closed plants.

The 2022 production numbers from DesRosiers show General Motors increased its production by 306 per cent in Canada from a year earlier, thanks in part to the reopening of its Oshawa assembly plant and the start of production of their BrightDrop EV delivery vans.

A recent Scotiabank report said that the parts situation that eased last year is expected to improve further this year to help boost production to an estimated 1.4 million units in Canada.