Seems like Ford and GM are blowing up their EV programs. Korea has good models. For battery plants, Stelantis/LG has started production, though Stelantis doesn't make EVs. They are building for ESS. Volkswagen has started building a battery plant. Skyview 2 is primarily ESS too. Tons of cancelations though, and Governments begging for refunds.

may be quite difficult unless the government is willing to spend lots of money

The future of auto industry is more automation and less jobs. $50B in funding since 2020 could be more than $5M per direct job created, and then so many cancelled projects looks bad. The 2009 bailout was $150k per every worker. $75B in last 20 years for auto subisidies. At 1.9m vehicles sold per year, the $10B/year over last 5 years is $5000+/vehicle sold (without any consumer price breaks), which is ok metric if exports/imports balance, I doubt employment will increase. I'm sure another economic collapse will happen that politicians tell us need more auto sector subsidies

Getting to a more precise point, Canada has one of the largest auto markets in the world about equal to France and UK despite half the population. China investing its own money in Canada manufacturing of autos, robots with deal for Canadian supply chain and resources is probably Canada's only future. It would provide much better value autos to consumers, and better value robots to Canadian manufacturers that lets them outcompete US. Canadian employment for factory building. EVs are better cars, and there would be no need for extra tax credits for good value vehicles.

Whether negotiating with US automakers or US government, posture should be that they need to make massive investments in Canada instead as compensation for past bailouts instead of weaseling more subsidies. Far more geopolitical tributes are owed by US to Canada. If they refuse then China, South east Asia, South Korea (a recent maybe), would be Canada's economic future.

2m annual Canadian vehicle market is a prize that the world should covet, and give it to the highest bidder, instead of a false, for the future, political employment football. Instead of Canadian taxpayers paying $5k per vehicle, auto buyers could save $5-$15k on vehicles with lower insurance rates, and lower taxi/uber rates due to lower capital and fuel/maintenance costs.