Everything Electric Podcast – “GM Powers Homes, Takes #1 and Sends A Message To the PM!”

Host: The Fully Charged Show (recorded live at Everything Electric Vancouver)
Guest: Christian Aquilina, President and Managing Director, GM Canada
Release Date: September 15, 2025

Overview

In this engaging episode, host Robert Llewellyn speaks with Christian Aquilina of GM Canada about the company’s rapid progress in electric vehicles (EVs), its place as Canada’s top EV seller, the shifting political and regulatory landscape, and GM’s vision for the future—including battery supply chains, GM’s “vehicle-to-home” solutions, and investments in Canadian manufacturing and engineering. Throughout, Christian offers frank insights into the strategic pivots required by policy uncertainty, global competition, and Canada’s vast, diverse marketplace. Audience questions live at Everything Electric Vancouver further energize the discussion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christian Aquilina’s Journey & GM’s Transformation

• Background: Christian started at GM (then Holden) in Australia, then held international posts in Dubai and Canada. He highlights the global mindset needed in a fast-changing industry.
  • “From day one, it really brought a global mindset to the way that you think about the automotive industry.” (02:48)
• GM’s Evolution: Founded in 1908, GM is now experiencing the most dramatic industry shift since the horse and cart era. Christian acknowledges the company’s pride at becoming Canada’s No.1 EV and luxury EV seller in record time.
  • “We are navigating yet another fantastic transition transformation in personal mobility…offering convenience and value to our customers. That’s what’s really driving this transition.” (04:18)

2. Innovation in Products and User Experience

• Product Features: The Cadillac lineup—especially the Optiq and Lyriq—earns praise for user-friendly interfaces (e.g., seat adjustment controls on doors) and luxury touches (Dolby surround sound).
  • Host: “I just flipping love that in actually the whole Cadillac lineup that you can adjust the seats on the door rather than blindly trying to find how you control the seats.” (06:21)
• Family EV Usage: Christian’s household has shifted entirely to EVs, highlighting long-range options like the GMC Sierra EV (up to 800km) and vehicle practicality for outdoor activities.
  • “The midgate drops down so a full two man kayak can get into that. Plus my bicycles and we’re set for Canadian summers.” (07:14)

3. Canada’s Market Complexity & Policy Patchwork

• Localized Approach: Large geography plus provincial policy patchwork forces GM to hyper-localize its marketing and sales, with its dealer network providing critical regional intelligence.
  • “We have representation right across the country…very sensitive to the needs of their customers in each part of the country.” (08:36)
• ZEV Mandate Instability: Shifting rules (ending, then pausing, then reexamining ZEV mandates and incentives) cause business uncertainty and change customer urgency and accessibility regarding EV adoption.
  • “It totally changes the game from a consumer perspective—the perceived urgency and accessibility of these vehicles.” (15:51)

4. GM’s Portfolio Strategy and Customer Demographics

• Full Portfolio Commitment: GM stays committed to both EVs and increasingly efficient internal combustion vehicles to meet the breadth of Canadian needs, highlighting the importance of letting the customer lead the market, not just regulation.
  • “We should be absolutely building fantastic, convenient vehicles…It’s really a strategy based on following the customer and being dictated by the customer, their willingness to pay, their desires and choice for convenience.” (10:56)
• New-to-GM EV Buyers: 60% of GM's EV customers are new to the brand, and the company is focused on delivering value, reliability, and service to keep them coming back.
  • “About 60% of our EV customers are new to GM. First time they’ve…purchased a GM vehicle. And by goodness we want to make sure that they come back again.” (14:02)

5. Incentives vs. Infrastructure—A Message to Policymakers

• Infrastructure Investment Priority: Christian advocates for generational investment in Canada’s charging network, not just short-term purchase incentives.
  • “For me…a higher priority…would be to invest in the things that are going to be generational, long-lasting and have a much broader impact—and that’s making charging infrastructure far more ubiquitous across Canada.” (16:56)
• Range Anxiety is Charging Anxiety: Long-range EVs can solve distance, but unreliable and patchy charging infrastructure is what still holds customers back.
  • “When we produce a vehicle that can travel 800km on a single charge, that’s not range anxiety, that’s charger anxiety.” (16:59)

6. Global Supply Chains, Local Advantage, and Geopolitics

• Balancing Global and Local: GM likes to build and source near where it sells, but is forced to rely on temporary foreign battery supplies (e.g., CATL LFP cells from China) while North American joint ventures ramp up.
  • “Yes, you’re right that we are temporarily utilizing CATL LFP cells to bridge a gap…But really, at the heart of it, we’re responding to the customer.” (20:34)
• Canadian Critical Minerals: GM is leveraging Canada’s nickel and graphite resources, investing in processing facilities in-country and forming joint ventures for cathode and anode materials—positioning Canada as a key North American hub.
  • “We’re doing some of the added value processing of those materials here in Canada. We’re building a facility…in Quebec which will make the CAM material, the cathode side of the battery.” (23:10)

7. Preparing for Global Competition & Future Partnerships

• Hyundai Partnership: GM’s partnership with Hyundai is a strategic move to compete with scale against a global industry, particularly in anticipation of increased competition from Chinese EVs (which are not yet present in Canada).
  • “It allows us to co-develop some vehicles together…that’s enormous scale to bring to our battery supply chains wherever we can.” (25:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Customer-Driven Strategy:
  “We are hungry to beat our competition in trying to meet the market better than they can…and that’s what’s driving our ranking in the marketplace.” (10:56, Christian Aquilina)

• On Infrastructure Needs:
  “That’s not range anxiety, that’s charger anxiety. And that is an actual thing here in Canada.” (16:59, Christian Aquilina)

• Audience (Nova Scotia to Vancouver EV Roadtripper):
  “I learned crossing the country is we do not have a coherent national charging network. We have chargers, but other than Tesla, we do not have a network designed as a network to facilitate east-to-west travel.” (37:42, Audience member 'D')

• On Vehicle-to-Home Potential (GM Energy):
  “This capability of having nodes that can potentially essentially come together and respond to an emergency situation or allow customers to access the most efficiently priced power…The GM energy business unit is still a growing business for us.” (35:04, Christian Aquilina)

• On Canadian Manufacturing Amidst Trade Turbulence:
  “The best thing you can do in times of ambiguity and uncertainty is invest in your ability to react, to be agile, to be able to adapt. That’s where we’ve invested a hell of a lot of time.” (29:52, Christian Aquilina)

Key Timestamps

• 01:22 – Christian introduces himself and career journey through GM
• 04:18 – The pace of change: GM’s evolving product and customer value focus
• 06:21 – Why seat controls on Cadillac doors matter
• 07:14 – Christian describes his EV family vehicle choices and practicality
• 08:36 – Adapting GM’s approach to Canada’s regional diversity
• 10:56 – On ZEV mandate and whether excellent EVs are enough on their own
• 16:56 – Christian’s message to policymakers: invest in infrastructure
• 20:34 – Navigating supply chains and geopolitics: temporary reliance on CATL batteries
• 23:10 – Canada’s role in GM’s battery supply and processing chains
• 25:23 – GM-Hyundai partnership and preparing for Chinese competitors
• 29:52 – Agility in face of tariffs and trade ambiguity
• 35:04 – GM Energy’s vision for bi-directional charging and powering homes
• 37:42 – Audience member describes cross-Canada EV trip, highlighting charging gaps

Live Q&A – Highlights

• On battery manufacturing and tariffs: Christian acknowledges complex global supply chains but emphasizes ongoing investment in Canadian manufacturing, engineering, and software. (29:52)
• On “vehicle-to-home”: GM Energy is piloting US-based partnerships; as the model matures, these offerings may expand to Canada—pending utility interest. (35:04)
• Cross-country EV travel: Audience member recounts a solo EV drive from Nova Scotia to Vancouver, echoing the call for robust, coast-to-coast charging networks—especially in Northern Ontario. (37:42)

Final Takeaways

• GM is racing to win in EVs while keeping a foot in efficient combustion engines, and believes in following the customer—not just legislation.
• Policy unpredictability is a major business challenge. Long-term infrastructure investments (especially charging networks) are seen as critical for mass adoption.
• Canada is both a challenge (vast, diverse, patchwork policies) and an opportunity (minerals, talent, investment) for GM’s EV ambitions.
• GM aspires to lead not just in vehicle technology, but also in energy resilience for customers—viewing EVs as mobile batteries, not just cars.

Host’s closing note:
“Downstairs you can actually test drive a load of the GM lineup…As I said, I really liked the Optic. That was pretty good.” (33:45)

This episode offers a unique window into the delicate balancing act facing legacy automakers: staying agile amid political, economic, and technical shift—while keeping their eyes on the customer and the road ahead.