Detroit Is Leaving Canada. Toyota Just Did the Exact Opposite

On October 15th, 2026, Toyota confirmed it will start building the hybrid only Lexus NX in Cambridge, Ontario this December, right after a 1.1 billion dollar bet on the new RAV4. At the same time GM shut down BrightDrop in Ingersoll, Stellantis moved the Jeep Compass from Brampton to Illinois and Ford dropped its electric plans for Oakville. So why is the biggest carmaker in Canada doubling down on the country Detroit is leaving? This is the story of the Auto Pact, Cambridge 1988, the first Lexus built outside Japan, Woodstock and the RAV4, the tariff wall and the Chinese EV quota. Stay for the one word that explains it all. Chapters 0:00 The Announcement 1:07 The Question 1:59 The Retreat 3:21 The Electric Promise 3:56 Three Million 4:27 The Auto Pact 5:20 Cambridge, 1988 6:02 The Lexus 6:43 The Toyota Way 7:33 Woodstock 8:45 The Billion Dollar Bet 9:29 The Numbers 10:36 The Tariff Wall 11:18 The Lexus NX 12:01 The New Neighbours 13:13 The Hybrid Gap 14:31 Hybrid Want the other Canadian inventions and megaprojects we rated? They are all in our report The True North Files. Scan the QR code in the video, or find the link on our channel page. Footage: Pexels, Pixabay. Maps: Natural Earth. Some images AI generated. Voice: AI narration. Music and sound effects: YouTube Audio Library. #Canada #Toyota #Ontario Image credits (Wikimedia Commons): Crisco 1492 (CC BY-SA 4.0): Ambassador Bridge, Windsor, On; Mackenzie Hall, Windsor, Ontar Michael Barera (CC BY-SA 4.0): Detroit December 2025 14 (Amba Mhsheikholeslami (CC BY-SA 4.0): Aurora Town Hall- Aurora- Onta Morlack7 (CC0): Belvidere Assembly Plant South BrightDrop (CC0): BrightDrop Zevo 600 Mliu92 (CC BY-SA 4.0): FedEx Brightdrop Zevo 600 42-BRT (CC BY-SA 4.0): 2022 BrightDrop EV600 AL.Eyad from Cambridge, Canada (CC BY 2.0): Autumn in Cambridge, Ontario ( J Yochem (CC BY-SA 2.0): Cambridge, Ontario (3692087834 Allie_Caulfield from Germany (CC BY 2.0): 2011-07-06 07-08 Kanada, Ontar Chris Woodrich (CC BY-SA 4.0): Volvo VNL 860 transporting a C LukaCali (CC BY-SA 4.0): 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Lrgjr72 (CC BY-SA 4.0): Detroit Skyline (Nov2021) Andrew Heneen (CC BY 4.0): Detroit skyline from Windsor r Arthur S. Siegel (Public domain): Detroit Skyline 1942d The White House (Public domain): Donald Trump swearing in cerem Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0): Ford F-250 Super Duty (P558) 1; Lexus RX 450h+ (AALH16) 1X7A19; Lexus RX 350h (AALH10-AALH15); Toyota Prius (XW60) Plug-in Hy Agratsa (CC0): 2024 Geely EX5 3 MNXANL (CC BY-SA 3.0): 201607 Geely Corp Coolcaesar (CC BY 4.0): Aerial View of Interchange Bet Adam Moss from Tonawanda, New York, United States (CC BY-SA 2.0): Ontario Highway 401 (317829807 JFVoll (CC BY-SA 3.0): Sacred Heart Church (2026) - I Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0): Jeep Compass (MP) PHEV Facelif; Jeep Compass e (J4U) Leonberg; Lexus NX 450h+ (AAZH26) 1X7A60; Lexus NX 350 (TAZA25) 1X7A0305; Lexus NX 450h+ (AAZH26) IMG 63; Lexus RX 450h+ (AALH16) DSC 90; Toyota RAV4 Core Hybrid IMG 75; Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (XA50) DSC Toronto History (CC BY 2.0): Lester Pearson at election cam Yoichi Okamoto (Public domain): Dean Rusk, Lyndon B. Johnson a Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine (CC0): MagnaInternationalMarkham Matti Blume (CC BY-SA 4.0): Magna, IAA 2021, Munich (IAA10 Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Scalable Grid Engine (CC0): MagnaInternationalMarkham2 Flickr user World Economic Forum (CC BY-SA 2.0): Mark carney davos 2010 Whpq (CC BY-SA 3.0): Ford Oakville Assembly Liz A. Arnsby (CC BY 2.0): GM Oshawa 20130526-0224 (88701 David Samuel, User:Hellodavey1902 (CC BY-SA 3.0): Parliament Hill, Ottawa Saffron Blaze (CC BY-SA 3.0): Centre Block - Parliament Hill TTTNIS (CC0): 1987-1989 Toyota Corolla GT; 2023 Toyota Prius Z HEV; 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV hybrid s; 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Z; 2021 Toyota RAV4 PHV M.rJirapat (CC BY-SA 4.0): Toyota Corolla (E90) 03 Ethan Llamas (CC BY-SA 4.0): 1990 Toyota Corolla 'small bod ʄɭoʏɗiaɲ τ ¢ (CC BY-SA 3.0): Toyota Motor Manufacturing Can Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0): 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LE in JFVoll (CC BY-SA 4.0): Woodstock Armory - Woodstock