Last Update: April 12, 2023, 02:30 AM IST
Canada is making a big push into batteries for electric vehicles, touting tax incentives, plentiful vital minerals and clean energy to attract auto makers. (Image: Reuters file)
Complex “will be a high-volume manufacturing hub for North American EV production
Ford announced a C$1.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) investment to remodel its Canadian assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario to produce electric vehicles and batteries for the North American market.
The “complex” will be a high-volume manufacturing hub for North American EV production, transforming existing buildings into a state-of-the-art facility that takes advantage of Oakville’s experienced workforce, the company said in a statement.
Its transformation, which is expected to employ thousands of new people, is set to begin in mid-2024 and start production of EVs in early 2025.
The 487-acre site currently includes three body shops, a paint building and an auto assembly building.
The converted campus will house a new 407,000-square-foot on-site battery plant that will use cells and arrays from BlueOval SK Battery Park in the US state of Kentucky.
Oakville employees will pick up these components and assemble battery packs that will be installed in vehicles assembled on site.
Canada is making a big push into batteries for electric vehicles, touting tax incentives, plentiful vital minerals and clean energy to attract auto makers.
Volkswagen announced in March that its first North American battery factory would be built in St. Thomas, Ontario.
Automakers Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) and LG Energy Solutions have also partnered on a new battery plant in Canada, while French tire maker Michelin is expanding its local facility.
And General Motors has signed a long-term deal with Brazilian mining giant Vale to supply Canadian nickel for use in EV batteries.
“The partnership between Ford and Canada helps establish us as a global leader in the EV supply chain for decades to come,” Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
