Honda Motor Co. plans to build a $15-billion electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., plant, which it will retool to produce EVs, the company announced on Thursday.
The project includes up to $5 billion in public funding and is the latest in a string of EV-related announcements, many of which also saw an injection of government money.
Here's a look at some of the major plans:
Honda Canada, Alliston, Ont.
Honda Canada says its $15-billion project will include the retooled plant, an electric vehicle battery plant in close proximity, as well as two key battery parts facilities located elsewhere in Ontario.
Umicore, Loyalist Township, Ont.
In October 2023, Umicore Precious Metals Canada Inc. announced it plans to build battery components for electric vehicles at its Loyalist Township plant. The federal and Ontario governments have put nearly $1 billion combined into the eastern Ontario facility. Production is set to begin in early 2026 and the plant is expected to produce enough battery materials to support 800,000 electric vehicles per year.
Northvolt, Montreal
In September 2023, Swedish manufacturer Northvolt AB announced plans to build a $7-billion gigafactory for electric vehicle batteries near Montreal by the end of 2026. The 170-hectare site straddles two communities about 30 kilometres east of Montreal — McMasterville and Saint-Basile-le-Grand — and will have an initial capacity to produce about 30 gigawatt-hours of annual cell manufacturing, enough to power one million vehicles a year.
Ford, Bécancour, Que.
Ford Motor Co. and its South Korean partners announced in August 2023 that they're building a $1.2 billion manufacturing plant for electric vehicle battery material in Quebec with the help of government funding. The cathode materials facility, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, will create 345 jobs once it's operational in 2026.
Volkswagen, St. Thomas, Ont.
The German automaker announced in April 2023 its plans to build a $7-billion EV battery plant in southwestern Ontario, operated by its battery company, PowerCo. The plant will be built on a 1,500-acre site with construction set to begin this year, and production expected to begin by 2027. The plant is expected to produce enough batteries for up to one million electric vehicles per year.
Stellantis LG, Windsor, Ont.
In March 2022, automaker Stellantis and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution announced they're building a large-scale electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont. The battery facility will supply Stellantis plants in North America and employ about 2,500 people. Auto parts makers expect the total impact to be about 10,000 jobs. Its goal is to be fully operational by 2025.
General Motors, Bécancour, Que.
General Motors Co. and South Korea's Posco Chemical in 2022 said they would team up to build a plant in Quebec to produce material for EV batteries. The federal and Quebec governments are providing $300 million in funding for the $600 million project to produce components for GM’s Ultium batteries. The joint venture is under construction and is expected to begin production in the first half of 2025.
General Motors, Ingersoll, Ont.
Canada's first full-scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant officially opened in southern Ontario at the end of 2022. The $2-billion General Motors Co. Ingersoll production plant was retooled to build all electric vehicles, and is expected to produce 50,000 EVs by 2025.
Ford, Oakville, Ont.
Ford committed $1.8 billion in 2020 to transition its Oakville, Ont. plant to produce EVs. The plant was to undergo retooling starting in May this year, closing the facility for eight months. In April, the automaker extended its timeline for the expected closure by two years and halted the start of EV production until 2027.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press
