MacLean Engineering has announced that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has committed C$2.5 million in funding to support the company’s battery-electric vehicle (BEV) research and development program. The announcement was made during the Canadian Critical Minerals Forum at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2026 Convention in Toronto.
The federal investment is being delivered through NRCan’s Mining Decarbonization Demonstration Call under the Energy Innovation Program and will accelerate commercialisation of MacLean’s GR8 EV Grader, the inaugural model for the newly created Surface Mining Vehicle division. In September 2024 at MINExpo, MacLean and Fortescue co-announced the development of a fleet of GR8 EV Graders for Fortescue’s Western Australia operations.
The funding announcement was made by the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, alongside MacLean Engineering President Stella Holloway. The funding for MacLean Engineering, based in Collingwood, Ontario, will support the design and development of the MacLean GR8 EV Graders to support mining operations in Canada and the broader mining industry, commencing with Fortescue in Western Australia. NRCan’s investment will help advance the commercialisation of the MacLean GR8 EV Grader, a novel Canadian clean technology product with global applications across the surface mining sector.
“Research and development are essential to building the responsible and reliable critical mineral supply chains that power clean energy, advanced manufacturing and defence readiness,” said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “By supporting innovative projects like those led by MacLean Engineering, we are strengthening Canada’s leadership in technologies that reduce environmental impacts, improve productivity and build long‑term economic and security resilience.”
“This investment from Natural Resources Canada is a powerful endorsement of Canadian innovation and manufacturing,” said Stella Holloway, President of MacLean Engineering. “As a proudly Canadian company, we are focused on growing our capabilities here at home while delivering sustainable mining solutions to customers around the world. NRCan’s support accelerates the commercialisation of our battery-electric technologies and enables us to move faster in building our new Surface Mining Vehicle Division. Together, we are advancing practical electrification pathways that strengthen Canada’s critical minerals supply chain and position Canadian clean technology on the global stage.”
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