Executive vice-president Mark Royce said the industry is on the cusp of major changes as electric and autonomous vehicles gain traction. “We selected Ontario and Canada for this expansion because of the clear capacity for innovation, the proven talent and new talent that we have in this room, an ecosystem of great universities, startups and innovative suppliers that we have here,” Royce told a news conference. The new initiative is expected to create 700 to 750 engineering jobs over the next several years, bring the total to around a thousand, Royce said. He said new positions would focus on developing technology for vehicle safety and connectedness technologies, as well as autonomous vehicle software and controls. GM Canada president Steve Carlisle said their efforts will be felt on a global scale.