Honda Canada is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant near its auto manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ont., where it also plans to produce fully electric vehicles.

Doug Ford is pitching Ontario as the next electric vehicle manufacturing powerhouse, seemingly a far cry from the premier who three years ago cancelled incentives.

David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada industry association, says experience from British Columbia and elsewhere shows that sales of electric vehicles take a hit when subsidies are removed.