The University of Toronto announced the launch of Electric Vehicle Innovation Ontario (EVIO), a new industry–academic partnership that will accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced electric vehicle (EV) and mobility technologies.
Led by the University of Toronto, in collaboration with seven other southern Ontario universities, EVIO will embed 37 highly skilled graduate researchers directly inside 20 Ontario EV and mobility companies.
The researchers will work on real-world challenges in battery chemistry, charging reliability, power electronics, mobility software, cold-weather performance, and advanced manufacturing.
These areas critical to promoting EV adoption and strengthening Canada’s position in a rapidly evolving global EV market.
Supported by a $2.5-million Government of Canada investment, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), and matched by industry and academic partners for a total program value of $7.9 million, EVIO is expected to generate over $30 million in economic activity, expand firm-level R&D capacity, and accelerate the creation of new Canadian intellectual property (IP) in EV.
Industry partners will contribute $45,000 towards a $90,000 project designed to enable companies to scale innovations while providing researchers with competitive compensation, hands-on experience, and direct pathways into high-growth careers.
EVIO is modeled on internationally proven approaches, including Germany’s Fraunhofer Institutes and DARPA-style applied innovation teams, which have catalyzed breakthrough technologies across G7 economies for decades.
Quick facts
- EVIO embeds 37 Master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral trainees inside 20 EV and mobility firms to develop state-of-the-art EV technologies for firms across southern Ontario.
- EVIO projects generate new Canadian intellectual property and strengthen firm-level R&D capacity across the EV value chain.
- The program is valued at $7.9 million, including $2.5 million from FedDev Ontario and $5.4 million from industry and academic partners.
- EVIO is delivered through a network of eight participating universities: Toronto (lead), Windsor, Western, Waterloo, York, Toronto Metropolitan University, Queen’s, and Ottawa.
- Projects address battery systems, charging infrastructure, power electronics, mobility software, cold-weather performance, advanced manufacturing, and related technologies.
- EVIO draws on global best practices such as Fraunhofer (Germany), industrial doctoral training (UK), and DARPA-style innovation management (US).
- New EVIO projects will continue to launch through 2026–2028, strengthening Canada’s innovation and commercialization pipeline.
- Examples of expected innovations could be new battery chemistry, novel semi-conductors for EV and other mobility, battery reclamation and enhanced EV charging infrastructure.
Filed Under: R&D, Technology News