Li-ion Motors Corporation has announced that they will make plans for additional collaboration with Canadian firm Lithium Electric Vehicle Corporation (LEVC) to take advantage of Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program. Li-ion’s fully electric vehicles (the Inizio and the Wave), along with their battery-management and electric propulsion technologies, are technological advancements over the traditional fuel-powered vehicles.
The Canadian SR&ED program has made it possible for Li-ion to work with LEVC in order to maintain its world-wide edge in electric propulsion system. This is because the Canadian SR&ED program is the most R&D-friendly program worldwide. Through this collaboration, Li-ion aims to bring their products to market with full certification.
Although much criticism has been heaped onto the SR&ED program as of late, especially after the Jenkins Report, the Li-ion case is an example of how the SR&ED program is effective at encouraging research and development in Canada, while keeping jobs within Canada.