Volkswagen is investing 4.3 billion euros in Canada's largest battery factory!

Volkswagen is investing 4.3 billion euros in Canada's largest battery factory!

In an exciting move for the automotive industry in Canada, Volkswagen's battery company Powerco today announced the construction of Canada's largest electric car battery factory in St. Thomas. This new gigafactory will be a real eye-catcher with a total usable area of ​​almost 80,000 square meters. With an enormous investment volume of up to 4.3 billion euros, this construction not only marks significant progress for Powerco, but also an important signal for the entire Canadian automotive industry, which has recently suffered some setbacks. As reported on elektroauto-news.net, production in Ontario is scheduled to begin in 2027.

The new factory in St. Thomas will be Powerco's third and largest battery factory in the world, in addition to the existing factories in Sagunt (Spain) and Salzgitter (Germany). To produce the state-of-the-art battery cells, Powerco plans to produce up to 90 gigawatt hours annually. The factory's foundation requires an impressive 32,000 cubic meters of concrete and approximately 4,850 tons of reinforcing steel. The construction will take place in collaboration with the companies Magil Construction Canada and Steelcon, who will do everything in their power to build the factory on time.

Opportunities for the region

The importance of this investment is clearly highlighted by Melanie Joly, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada. She emphasizes that the gigafactory makes a crucial contribution to strengthening Canada's position in the electric car and battery industry. Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, also sees Powerco's investment as clear evidence of the region's competitiveness, particularly through the high quality of the local workforce.

With over 100 applications already received, it is clear that people in the region want to take the opportunity to be part of this exciting project. This new factory could not only create jobs, but also significantly boost the local economy.

The look ahead

A critical factor for the factory's future will be close collaboration with existing industry and educational institutions to train the skilled workers it needs. A lot of planning and construction will have to be done over the next two years to achieve all the ambitious goals and create the infrastructure required for such production.

As part of a larger shift in the automotive industry toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly options, Powerco's decision is another step in the right direction. With the focus on electric cars and the use of advanced technologies, this could have a lasting impact not only on the future of the automotive industry in Canada, but also the entire industry worldwide.