http://www.thestar.com/Business/arti...

Rohrauer called GM's planned shutdown of an SUV and truck manufacturing plant in Oshawa a "wake-up" call for the province. "We have to be creative and come up with the right solutions to help the situation and be part of this new wave of technology, rather than keep trying to maintain what was yesterday."

The province has invested in hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies, but automotive experts say the lack of a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure means hydrogen cars are still a long way off. Less has been invested in local battery and electric car companies, such as Electrovaya Corp. and ZENN Motor Co., even though such technologies are more likely to dominate in the near term.

Rohrauer said Ontario is quite capable of seizing the opportunity, and is beginning to shift gears. This week his centre was awarded a $291,000 grant toward a hybrid-electric research project. It aims to establish standards for how an electric car interacts with the grid.

"I think everybody understands that large trucks and SUVs are rapidly fading away, and that's a response to market conditions," he said. "It's quite obvious that the smart direction is to move where the market is heading."